


the parable of overgrown roses

by c_heonsa (crossbelladonna)



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Dark Humor, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Gen, Inspired by Popular Song (Mika ft. Ariana Grande), M/M, Magical Realism, Themes from Wicked/Harry Potter lore, everyone has beef with jimin lmao, jealousy is the root of all evil kids, some characters are aged up to fit the year level, taehyung and jungkook are twins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:21:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 47,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24817540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crossbelladonna/pseuds/c_heonsa
Summary: "This," he begins, "is the story of how I turned to stone.""Well," his brother says, because of course he does. "I hate this already."Taehyung rolls his eyes.Nobody appreciates humor these days.-In which Taehyung detests Park Jimin with his popular smile and his popular hair. Now what do we do about that?
Relationships: Jeon Jungkook/Min Yoongi | Suga, Kim Taehyung | V & Yoon Jeonghan, Kim Taehyung | V/Park Jimin, Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi/Lee Jihoon | Woozi
Comments: 50
Kudos: 90





	1. i know about popular

**Author's Note:**

> _Popular, I know about popular_   
>  _And all that you have to do is be true to you_   
>  _That's all you ever need to know_   
>  _So catch up 'cause you got an awful long way to go_
> 
> MIKA - **Popular Song** ft. Ariana Grande ([x](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmcdLOjGVzw))
> 
> [moodboard](https://twitter.com/crossbelladonna/status/1274203488910794752)

“Remember this: Nothing is written in the stars. Not these stars, nor any others. No one controls your destiny.”

― Gregory Maguire, Wicked

-

"This," he begins, "is the story of how I turned to stone."

"Well," his brother says, because of course he does. "I hate this already."

Taehyung rolls his eyes.

Nobody appreciates humor these days.

-

“Double, double toil and trouble,

Fire burn and cauldron bubble.”

— Macbeth, Act IV Scene I

Contrary to popular belief, that is, in fact, exactly what happens albeit through a series of not-so-unfortunate choices that led him up to this. There was probably a mistake realized at some point and he’d lost it in his grasp the moment his choices led from one thing to another.

They say life gives you lemons but sometimes you're allergic to the lemons and you end up consuming it anyway (you have no choice for the matter) and you end up as a rock. It is what it is.

It's a long story and his brother is kicking his ass.

"What in Hecate's name," Taehyung groans from where he's buried under the mountain of pillows, "is your problem?"

He lifts his head up anyway (he's so brave) and sees his brother standing next to his bed, hands on his hips and already dressed up to go—pinstriped jacket, long-sleeved shirt with his collars actually pressed this time and black tie tied. He's even wearing proper dress trousers.

Taehyung turns to his side and rests his chin cheekily on his hand.

“Why, don’t you look dapper,” he says.

Jungkook’s already present frown becomes more pronounced and Taehyung can’t help but wonder how people seem to think they resemble each other.

 _Probably the haircut_ , he finds himself thinking and absently patting his own hair, a bird’s nest if anything. The fact that they escaped the womb together at the same time could also be a reason why, though.

“We’re going to be late,” Jungkook growls. “I’ll leave you.”

School might be the only blight in his life.

Taehyung turns in bed. He loves his bed, it’s all brass, four-poster with delicate castings of songbirds on the brass fittings. He has about a hundred pillows and his covers are so warm, the mattress soft and inviting…

“School?” Taehyung gasps into the crook of his arm. “We have school? _Today?_ ”

His brother kicks him again. “It’s Monday!”

Terrible.

Jungkook is in an even cursed mood once they’re finally making their way downstairs. Taehyung dressed haphazardly under his brother’s steely gaze and so he’s trudging down the staircase with half of the buttons of his shirt unbuttoned, dark hair a mess, collars popped, and tie breezily loose.

“Wouldn’t it be nice,” Taehyung says, “if there were five days of rest and two days of work?”

Jungkook grunts as a reply.

“Who decided the days of the week should be seven?” Taehyung continues. “What if I want my days to be arbitrary? Seven days is too much work, so little rest. It should be a nice and even ten.”

“Your days will be numbered if you keep talking.”

“Wow! So mean to your elder brother!”

“Four minutes is barely _anything_ ,” Jungkook hisses at him as they turn left towards the dining room.

Geez. Grouchy.

Their dining room isn't the largest space although the long oak table occupying the center could fit about twenty. Like most parts of their aged house, the walls are covered with maroon wallpaper with golden damask flowers repeated over and over. Some parts near the edges of the ceiling are dripping off the walls from age, revealing the wooden paneling behind it.

It's a little dim with three of the tall pull-up windows shuttered down although the old crystal sconces on the walls still give the room much needed light. Next to the door to the kitchen, there's a large iron maiden which Jungkook pats out of habit, making Taehyung snicker. Framed on the wall next to it is a painting of their family, their parents standing side by side with toddler Taehyung and Jungkook, looking a lot more alike than they do now, seated on little chairs.

Their parents are seated at the far end of the table, right by the fireplace with their father at the head and their mother to his left. It's a rare occasion to have them both together as they're always busy going to and fro places.

Even now, they’re both busy. Their father is scribbling on something as he sips his morning coffee. Their mother has scattered a bunch of papers and small raw crystals around her. They both look up as soon as they step inside however and immediately stop whatever it was they were doing previously.

"There you are," their father says appreciatively, laughing at the state of Taehyung's clothes. 

"We're going to be late," Jungkook grumbles but moves to sit next to their father anyway. 

Taehyung follows suit next to him, grinning.

"It's not like Coop can't drive us really fast."

"Let's not test the limits of that, huh?" Their dad quips just as their butler comes shuffling in with more food.

"We're leaving soon," their mother reminds them, although her pointed look is directed right at Taehyung.

Taehyung smiles wide, opens his hands palms up innocently.

"Look out for each other, okay?" she says. She opens one palm up and twirls her other hand above it so that tiny little stars start falling from her fingers onto her open palm. 

A long crystal as clear as day sprouts from her palm and once it's long enough, she stops, plucking it out and snapping it cleanly in two before handing each piece to Taehyung and Jungkook.

"Call me," she tells them.

Their mother is a crystal-monger, making all sorts of crystals for whatever purpose. Whatever purpose is also the reason their parents are often not at home. Taehyung can feel her warmth in the small crystal in his palm, like a hug.

"Your grandmother will be visiting in a couple of weeks," their father tells them. "We might not be around to see her, though. She misses you a lot."

Taehyung absolutely loves their grandmother, sitting up when their father mentions her. She's a little strange in the way she's old. She hangs out with Somalian pirates a lot so she has plenty of stories to tell. Jungkook grimaces though; Grandma had known he liked collecting bones before, a hobby he had grown out of but Grandma still brings him some anyway.

"Dad, please," Jungkook pleads, "the bones..."

“Ah, the bones,” their father sighs in nostalgia. “They’re a wonderful collection. Why don’t you ask for a bear trap next time?”

Jungkook groans into his plate of eggs and Taehyung waves a hand cheerfully.

“I’ll take it!”

_Good morning, Master._

Their black Mini Cooper comes to life as soon as Taehyung and Jungkook make it to the estate garage, Taehyung pats the steering wheel affectionately when he climbs in.

“Jungkook wants to go to school, Coop,” Taehyung informs, a matter-of-factly.

“ _We_ need to go to school,” Jungkook corrects with a frown as Taehyung starts the engine.

“Oh, yeah, right.”

 _You’re not dressed properly for school_ , Coop counters, his semi-mechanical voice echoing out the vents. 

Jungkook snaps his head towards him in triumph and Taehyung sighs, relenting and finally buttoning up his shirt.

“Alright,” he grumbles as he drives one-handedly, “I get schooled by my brother _and_ the car I love it.”

_It is what it is._

Jungkook bursts out laughing.

Taehyung drives but Coop is mostly doing the job and as expected, they arrive in front of the school doors faster than they could imagine, and Taehyung smiles smugly at his brother the moment they come to a stop.

“Next time I’m leaving you,” Jungkook warns gravely as they get out.

“Nice try,” Taehyung beams, patting Coop’s hood tenderly. “Coop would never do that to me.”

 _I will, sir._ Jungkook snorts out loud and Taehyung blinks twice. _I will pick you both up at exactly five pm._

Coop beeps twice, doors locking and simply speeds off and leaves the two of them in the dust.

“I can’t believe I’d live to see the day Coop will finally turn on me,” Taehyung smiles, putting his hands on his hips. “It’s like watching your child grow.”

Jungkook grimaces. “How is it that you make everything sound like we’re older than we are?”

“I’m a century old in my heart.”

They’re not far from being actually late so Jungkook makes sure Taehyung sees him roll his eyes before turning to the door—there are several students milling about trying to get to their lockers and he’d like to avoid the sea of pinstripes and black skirts as much as possible. However, a matte gray Lamborghini skids to a stop just a ways from them with a screech and it makes them stop on their tracks.

It’s not the only fancy car that’s ever rounded up the school doors; nearly everyone he can name in school comes from an illustrious family, and a nice ride came with it too. Still, Taehyung can appreciate art.

Of course the appreciation instantly turns into surprise when their friend Jihoon, really a year younger than they are but somehow in the same year level nevertheless, comes out of the passenger seat in a rush.

“What about my goodbye kiss…?” comes a voice from inside the vehicle.

Jihoon turns into a shade of purple. “Hyung, Tartarus help me if I mess up my attendance I’ll kick your ass all the way to Munchkinland.”

In the five years they’ve known him since Jihoon transferred, they’ve never quite seen him so bristled. He closes the door with a smack and stomps his way to the entryway, only pausing when he sees Taehyung and Jungkook still standing there and impatiently looking over his shoulder as he waits for the Lamborghini to roll out down towards the school gates far below the steep hill where their school resides.

“That was a new car,” Taehyung casually comments like they’re not about to be late for class.

Jihoon scowls. “My brother got transferred so he works nearby now.”

Taehyung and Jungkook share a glance. They’ve never actually seen his mysterious brother before and up to some point had wondered if he’s merely a myth. Guess not.

“Good for you, isn’t it?” Jungkook offers.

“I’m still thinking about that.” Jihoon sighs and trudges up to the hallway.

Unsurprisingly, they're met with a huge crowd, bodies running off to places to catch up to classes and coaxing various doors open. As classrooms are different for Years 1 to 8, it's absolute chaos. Several things are flying through the air—winged books headed to classrooms, small mice flapping over their heads and hitting the chandelier in a rush, an entire bubbling cauldron hurtles past, contents dripping with students underneath parting quickly so they won't be splashed on.

Mornings are always the worst. Somehow the school can be a castle and be crowded still. 

Taehyung scoots closer to Jungkook to avoid getting elbowed by a Year 1 student who's huffing and puffing to get to class with an armful of books hugged to their chest.

Taehyung grins and pulls at the hem of Jungkook's shirt and gestures a thumb towards the student who passed them by.

"Can you believe we looked like that as an eleven-year-old? Though I guess we were cuter..."

Jihoon stares at him blankly while Jungkook shakes his head and starts snickering.

"Tae," Jihoon intones, making sure he's right between Taehyung and Jungkook at all times—his stature makes it very easy for him to get lost. "We're graduating next year and I'm very close to thinking you haven't made it past Year Two."

"I know! I don't age! I think it might be a curse."

The resounding groan only makes Taehyung giggle.

They reach the forked corridors and here, Taehyung parts ways with Jungkook and Jihoon who takes the path to the right, flourishing them both with an enthusiastic bow.

Once you're in Year 5, students get to choose to focus on getting classes for purely physical or metaphysical magic although rarely, there are some students who don't like choosing (mostly scholars and those of non-magical origin) so they end up taking both ways.

Taehyung and Jungkook's mother is a master at physical magic with her crystal-mongering and Jungkook had taken after her. Their father, meanwhile, although excelling quite well with the metaphysical, chose the scenic route and ended up being a defense attorney for the magical and non-magical alike.

Life gives different lemons to everyone and Taehyung is allergic to all of them.

So he takes his father's route.

He makes it to the lockers, rows and rows of tapered hexagonal boxes, just as the unnerving loud _bong_ resounds through the entire castle announcing the commencement of classes. He doesn't bother hurrying too much; his first class is Potions and Professor Kim is never early for mornings so he takes his time gathering his things into his bag—his test tubes, his tray of flasks and pipettes, his Potions book and is wondering if he should bring along his unfinished notes (he always needs his mind busy) when there's a loud clattering in the locker next to his.

He has his locker door open so he can't see but oh, he knows who it is. Face blank, he slowly adjusts his door so he can peek. 

Now this is a surprise—he has never seen Park Jimin late before in the few years they've known each other.

They _don't_ know each other, though. Jimin transferred here on Year 5, like Jihoon but unlike Jihoon he's somehow become the bane of Taehyung's life ever since.

He's too eerily...perfect. He's a scholar for one, the most confounding of all, since there are so few scholars in school. Taehyung _never_ gets a grade below A and _he's_ not a scholar. He even knows Jimin goes to both classes! It's baffling. Jimin is a model student and he's out to get Taehyung.

Probably not but it's disconcerting anyway.

Jimin looks harassed as he digs into his locker and haphazardly stuffing his things into a bag. Like he has eyes on the back of his head (it's very likely), he snaps his head towards Taehyung looking very irritated.

"Can I help you?" he hisses.

Yikes. Jimin is a bit shorter than he is. Not as short as Jihoon but short enough to pat his head though Taehyung could hardly imagine that ever happening. He's just small like an elf.

The shorter the person the larger the rage.

"I don't..." Taehyung starts, eyes looking everywhere but at his locker-mate. "I don't...know you."

Jimin scoffs harshly, probably in disbelief.

“If you don’t have anything good to say, Taehyung-ssi, I’m late for class,” and he smacks his locker door closed, making Taehyung jump and he watches Jimin stalk off to the nearest staircase with his feet stomping loudly.

Taehyung releases a breath with a whistle.

They definitely didn’t know each other, alright.

-

"The world unwraps itself to you, again and again as soon as you are ready to see it anew."

— Wicked

There’s something oddly peaceful about Potions class, regardless of how sleep-inducing it may get, that has Taehyung wrapped around its fingers.

The classroom is a little cramped, old and dark with the windows shuttered so as not to disturb any potion they might be making. The floors are hardwood and creak in some areas due to age. The shelves and cabinets are dusty, a few bending from the weight of the multitude of books and bottles of ingredients. Professor Kim Namjoon also has the smoothest voice known to man and he could be reading the entirety of the schoolbook for all the world and Taehyung would willingly listen.

The soft sound of bubbling and dripping from the cauldrons on each table and the test tubes hovering above each one is soothing. Taehyung wonders if over the years he could finally settle on a lemon he’s not allergic to.

There is however, the little circumstance of the seating arrangement…

“I think we’re to add wolfsbane next,” Jeonghan, Taehyung’s Potions partner, gestures to one of the bottles hovering around them and grabs the one containing wolfsbane. “Or was it dittany?”

“Dittany,” Taehyung tells him, grabbing the correct one and pouring a measured amount into their cauldron, its contents turning a shade of lilac, the same color of Jeonghan’s long hair.

Towards the front of the room, Professor Kim is explaining even further about the importance of correct measurement and the appropriate amount of stirring as they go through all the steps. Also towards the front of the room is Park Jimin, seated up front and center with his partner Wonwoo. They’re doing a very impressive feat of noting down every single word that’s pouring out of Professor Kim’s mouth _and_ managing to keep up with the steps at the same time.

Jimin looks serious but every so often Wonwoo would murmur something, perhaps a weird joke, and Jimin would burst out laughing. Taehyung can hear it all the way from where he’s seated with Jeonghan at the back of the room.

His smile is too bright, eyes disappearing into crescents as he laughs and it’s really unsettling.

“You know,” Jeonghan says, seemingly knowing what Taehyung is thinking. He had long suspected Jeonghan might be some sort of seer and avoids thinking hard when he’s around him as much as he can.

“If you weren’t magical you’d be a great scholar,” Jeonghan continues, flicking a strand of hair away from his face. He’d already tied his hair back and still, strands kept falling forward to bother him.

Taehyung blinks, confused.

“What?”

Jeonghan shrugs. “I mean, you’re really smart you know? We could’ve messed up this whole thing just a while ago.”

Taehyung inclines his head. “No, no what—what was that about me being magical?”

Jeonghan laughs a tiny squeaky laugh, shaking his head.

“You _are_ magical right? Only the non-magical can be scholars, you know. Well, mostly I’d say. Not all of them though, they’d have to be really smart.”

What.

“ _What?_ ” Taehyung wheezes.

Jeonghan snorts and counts under his breath as he stirs their cauldron.

“It’s okay you didn’t know— _four_ —it’s not common knowledge— _f_ _ive_ —Wonwoo just told me because we’re neighbors— _six_ —”

In the near distance, Jimin laughs again. Now this is interesting.

“Why are they like that, though,” Taehyung wonders aloud, mostly to themself as he stares at Jimin with narrowed eyes. “All perfect and smart and popular.”

Jeonghan does a bewildered double take as their potion finally turns its final shade of navy blue.

“I’m sorry—they’re what?” he asks, strangely.

Taehyung gives him an unblinking smile and gathers the jars they have for storing.

“Nothing,” he inclines his head towards their cauldron. “You scoop, I’ll hold.”

Jeonghan gives him a smile and they start putting away their potion. He’s asking offhandedly if Taehyung has any werewolf friends when Professor Kim clears his throat to gather their attention.

“Alright, most of you must be finished by now,” he says. Professor Kim smiles at all of them, his cheeks dimpling like so. “As you know, you’re graduating next year and Year Eight isn’t far off.”

Collective groaning. Beside him, Jeonghan slumps onto their table and hugs their jars of wolfsbane potion close.

“After that,” Professor Kim continues with a kind tone, “who knows? You might start working. You might end up studying some more.”

Ah, the lemons.

"But we're not talking about what happens after, we're talking about what happens now. Now, of course, would be discussing your last major project before you move up to Year Eight..."

 _Now_ Taehyung sighs.

Professor Kim laughs as he looks at the faces of his students. 

"Don't look at me like that! It will either be easy or difficult and it will depend on you entirely." 

When Professor Kim beams, his entire face lights up and he holds up a finger. 

"I want you to make me a potion, the rarer the better. Make me an original one? Even better. It could be anything your heart desires although the consequences are yours to face, as is with the law of creation. So maybe don’t kill people, hmm?"

There's laughter and Professor Kim’s eyes are twinkling but Taehyung's eyes are wide and he's on the edge of his seat.

Professor Kim tells them they have to hand in a report with a bottle of the potion by the end of the school year and he's excited. So many things he could do and this could be it! He’ll finally be at the top of the class! He could make a potion that could grow mushrooms in his hair or make Jungkook's voice squirrelly for a whole day or—

"I'm going to make one to clear a person's mind of fog," Jeonghan drawls with a giggle and Taehyung turns his gaze towards him.

Definitely a seer.

"Can we ask for outside help?"

That was Jimin, his hand is raised and Taehyung nearly gets whiplash as he spins his head around real fast.

Professor Kim smiles. "Well, why not? It has to be made by your hands though; I'll be able to tell."

Jimin smiles wide and Taehyung sees it when Jimin turns his head to Wonwoo.

Taehyung narrows his eyes. 

Unnerving, that's what it is.

"He's so annoying a-and troublesome, and infuriating and—!"

Jungkook complains when Coop picks them up on time and he straight up growls into his hands as they get in.

Jungkook's no longer wearing his pinstriped jacket and Taehyung sees it haphazardly stuffed inside his bag that he had thrown into the backseat once they're in the car.

 _Rough day, Master Jungkook?_ Coop wants to know.

“Those are the same words,” Taehyung raises his eyebrows. "What's up with you?"

"Park Jimin!" Jungkook snarls to the dashboard. He's scowling impressively, pouting as he does and there's a vein jumping in his temple in his frustration.

Whoa. Park Jimin. That guy.

Jungkook always seemed to have an on and off issue with Park Jimin. Taehyung always kept a considerate distance during classes (they don't know each other) but Jungkook's classes can't really permit social distancing especially when you use your body to create magic.

Taehyung gets bothered by how smart this Park Jimin is. He's a pretty package, all in one. Taehyung's smart! He gets good grades and has an esteemed reputation. Then there's Park Jimin. But hey, that's fine. He can be irritated with people from a distance.

Jungkook, on the other hand, is very competitive.

"I swear he's got favoritism on his side or something!" Jungkook rants. "He's already so good at dancing and now I've got proof he can make Hoseok-hyung bend!"

Hoseok is the school's instructor for the physical's Contemporary Magic class. He teaches magic in the performing arts and is a recent graduate so he refuses to be called professor. Taehyung knows him to be quite the professional regardless so he doubts Jungkook for a hot second.

Taehyung also knows firsthand that Jimin is indeed good at dancing. He has been to Jungkook's class before (unfortunately) a couple of times while waiting for him to finish and has had his eyes assaulted by a one Park Jimin doing very questionable body movements that he had to stare at his brother do the same just to get the image flushed from his brain.

Even worse, they have a dance at the end of every school year and he has seen boys and girls scrambling to get a dance with him.

Unsettling.

"He didn't like his dance partner because he was too tall!" Jungkook continues to wail. Coop hums sympathetically. "So he went to Hoseok-hyung and he got a partner change immediately! To me! _Why?_ I'm taller than him too!"

Now _that_ is a whole predicament.

"What a pickle you’re in," Taehyung muses.

"I hate him," Jungkook says with fervor, clenching his fists. He's about a minute away from punching through the side mirror and Taehyung sincerely hopes he's not about to do it. “Hoseok-hyung definitely agreed because he was being all cutesy!”

Taehyung nearly chokes. “Excuse me.”

“You know that stupid way he’d smile and his eyes disappear everyone’s a sucker for that!”

Wow. Who is this “everyone” Taehyung wants to know. Jungkook clenches and unclenches his fist and he points to himself indignantly.

“I can be cute too!” he exclaims.

Taehyung snorts unpleasantly. “Kook, I don’t know how to say this to you but you’re really not.”

“ _I_ _’m_ cute.”

"Okay, let's just say you are, you muscle pig."

"I'm gonna fight him."

 _Famous last words_ , Coop says.

"So violent," Taehyung says, breezily. "I think I might make your voice squirrelly after all. Did you know we have to make our own potion? That's our last big project for Potions."

"Not my voice!" Jungkook stresses.

"Well then stop being so aggressive, geez. If you want to get back at him then practice hard.”

“Oh wow,” Jungkook’s voice turns sarcastic, waggling his fingers. “Didn’t know we had a pacifist over here.”

Taehyung lets go of the steering wheel and smiles serenely.

“I’ll deck you.”

The next few minutes are a tussle—Taehyung grabs Jungkook’s hair and pulls hard while Jungkook retaliates by kicking him across the seat, both of them shouting in varying degrees of pain as Coop exasperatedly tells them both to calm down or he will crash the car.

Typical day.

-

"How goes the world, sir, now?"

— Macbeth, Act II Scene IV

After dinner finds them in the foyer, opposite their dining room. It’s a larger room outfitted with the same dripping maroon wallpaper with shuttered windows. Crystal sconces are hung on the walls along with a mismatch of dark paintings of the nearby marsh and mounted animal heads that their mother brought back home from her travels. A large bookshelf encompasses the wall next to the lit and crackling fireplace while a doorway to the left leads to their conservatory. Under the eye of a particularly large boar taxidermy is an old grand piano.

Taehyung is practicing his nonverbal spells, seated on their couch with his schoolbook open in his lap and he’s focusing static energy on making every single hair on Jungkook’s head stand on end. The latter is gathered around the living room table with their butler, Joowon as they play battleship with explosives so that the house keeps rumbling every now and then.

“Blow F6!” Jungkook tells Joowon gleefully, now in a better mood. His eyes are lit up by the fire, making him look manic.

Joowon merely nods as Jungkook punches his fist in the air as their butler pushes the button on his board. Not a second later, there’s a loud _boom_ echoing through the house from, presumably, the attic.

Jungkook rolls on his back and onto the floor, laughing triumphantly and ruining Taehyung’s handiwork.

“Now, you’ve done it.” Taehyung mourns and Jungkook sticks his tongue out at him and gets up to continue playing.

He starts over, focusing on the text in his book and zoning his mind purely on the strands of Jungkook’s hair as he moves his head around. Slowly, with all his center and picturing his hands going through them, the static around each one making it stiffen and…

The fire cackles and Taehyung blinks out of his reverie at once. Jungkook is chortling at something Joowon says in a deadpan voice and Taehyung inclines his head to look past him right towards their fireplace.

The fire is dancing, as it would but it's laughing a very human laugh that has Taehyung's skin crawling and the hair on his neck prickling.

He knows what this is, only he'd been sure they'd been told it wouldn't be by _today_.

As if reading his mind, their fireplace abruptly bursts into an enormous cloud of black smoke and ash that sends them all in a short fit of coughing. Taehyung is already on his feet the moment something lands hard onto the fireplace and he's grinning before he hears it.

"Hello, my uglies!" 

The fire returns and burns brighter than before.

"Grandma!" Taehyung gasps and runs towards their grandmother's open arms. She's a lot shorter than he is so she laughs as she makes Taehyung bend down to kiss him loudly on the cheek.

"My little raven!" she exclaims in a scratchy, high-pitched voice and looks around Taehyung to see Jungkook lying down on the floor with a pout. "Ah! And there's my other one!"

She hurriedly totters over to pepper Jungkook's face with kisses, making him laugh.

Taehyung takes the bag she came with out of the still burning fireplace and dusts off the ash before walking over to put it on the table. Joowon hastily gathers the remnants of their battleship game and skitters away as their grandmother hops onto the couch, bringing Jungkook with her.

"But Grandma," Taehyung says. "I thought you won't be here till a couple of weeks?"

Their grandmother scoffs, pushing away the multitude of scarves she has around her neck and continues dusting off the ash from her gray dress.

"My son ne'er gets his facts right!" she sniffs hootily. "Junghwan, that boy! How is he and Taeha?"

"They're gone," Jungkook grins, scooting closer.

Their grandmother wheezes in delight, grinning. "For good?" And they both fall into peals of laughter.

Taehyung rolls his eyes and sits on his grandmother's other side.

"Where have you been?" he asks.

"I was in Prague!" she begins excitedly, reaching for her large handbag and immediately digging in. "They caught me smuggling iguanas out to the pier and I ‘scaped in a Somali pirate ship."

"Again?" Jungkook's eyes brighten.

"Aha—again!"

Their grandmother pulls out an entire cannonball from inside her bag and sets it down before taking out exactly one spiked high heel, a flask of arsenic, a jewel-encrusted dagger, and a bag of black liquorice.

"I've got'em gifts!" she proclaims in a lilted voice and hands the bag of liquorice to Taehyung who beams.

"And of course—" she holds a finger up to Jungkook as she digs around her bag and pulls out a frayed ziplock, "—tada! Freshly dug cat bones straight from the grave."

Jungkook's eyes are saucers, blinking at the bag of bones although accepting it gratefully nevertheless.

"But, I also thought," Grandma continues, making a thoughtful expression as she taps a long-nailed finger on her chin, "you are getting a bit old for bones, no? So I got you this!" and pulls out another item from her bag.

It's a bear trap.

Taehyung nearly bursts out laughing when Jungkook looks a little teary from happiness.

"Thank you, Grandma."

Grandma grins tenderly and leans over to kiss Jungkook on the forehead, moving back to do Taehyung the same.

"Now for s’more..." she says, shaking her bag and completely upending its contents onto the table.

Stacks of money come pouring out, a good hefty amount with a single diamond necklace falling on top of it all like a cherry on a cake.

Jungkook whoops in appreciation.

Grandma wags a finger in front of Taehyung with a sly look in her eye.

"Remember kids, it ain't cheatin' if no one catches you!" she cackles loudly, sitting back on the couch and pulling the two of them to her sides like when they were children. "So what 'ave you been doing? Any rituals I didn't know of? Any unbridled anger? Cursed sacrifices?"

At the mention of anger, Jungkook is very quick to react with a small hiss.

"Park Jimin," he scowls.

"Oh," Taehyung says.

"Park who-what?" Grandma's smile turns pinched.

" _Park Jimin,_ " Jungkook repeats with a renewed rage. "He's too perfect. He must be defeated."

Taehyung narrows his eyes in thought. "Yeah, he _is_ too smart. His smile is too perfect hmm, that’s not human."

Grandma looks at them back and forth, bewildered.

"Is this a friend?"

" _No_." Taehyung and Jungkook replies at the same time.

"I don't know him," Taehyung says immediately.

"I will defeat him." Jungkook inputs.

Grandma shrugs. "Well what do you plan to do with him?"

Taehyung balks because he doesn't really have one. He's spent the last five years staring at Jimin's back and is doing just fine with the little irritation now and then on somehow never getting the highest score in Potions even though it's his favorite. He'll get back at Jimin in Divination or something. Taehyung's definitely sure he's a lot better at the metaphysical's Contemporary Magic class but Park Jimin is also good at visual arts so.

So.

Jungkook has no problem whipping out his plan with a clenched fist.

"I'm going to practice so hard my bones will break off from my body."

Grandma cheers, laughing delightedly.

"That's it! That's it, the sheer motivation. And what about you little raven?" she tickles Taehyung under his chin, making him giggle.

"I have to make a potion for Potions class. It has to be a really good one," he tells her. "I'll do my best then."

"A potion, how charming," Grandma grins. "Your father is really good at them. His truth serum works like a treat in court!"

Taehyung and Jungkook laugh and Grandma nods.

"Yes," she continues, "but this Park Jimin. You can always turn him to stone."

Taehyung stops short.

"Stone?" Taehyung and Jungkook echoes.

“If he’s so perfect then he might as well be a marble statue,” Grandma cackles, shrugging.

Jungkook looks excited, gripping their grandmother’s hand tight.

“How do you do that?” he whispers.

Grandma grins, grabbing her bag once more and feeling around inside the pockets. She takes out a really crinkly paper, stained and browned with age and hands it easily to Taehyung. Jungkook leans over behind Grandma’s back to take a peek.

Taehyung carefully unfolds the paper and sees it’s a list of nine ingredients, scribbles below and behind it indicate other things for a potion.

“It was your grandfather’s,” Grandma says, nostalgic. “He made _many_ en’mies in the day though he’s revised this ol’ thing a couple of times so it wouldn’t be _so_ o’vious. Imagine all the statues of yer enemies in one room!”

As an afterthought, she adds, “Like Pygmalion and Galatea!”

Taehyung blinks. “That’s—This is the complete opposite of Pygmalion and Galatea.”

Grandma simply laughs loudly and shrugs, nonplussed.

He feels Jungkook staring at him and Taehyung stares back, both looking with intent and he knows what Jungkook is trying to say as his eyes turn shifty.

_Let’s do it. I’ll help._

_I’m deciding._

_What are you waiting for? Ragnarok?_

_Are you stupid?_

“Well? It’s nice, no?” Grandma snickers, encouraging.

Taehyung laces his fingers together, eyes narrowing as he thinks.

“Let’s say it is,” he hums. “How am I gonna go about this?”

Jungkook makes an ugly _pfft_ noise.

“Just be frank with him or something!” he says, waving his hand dismissively. “We can...I dunno, uproot a lock of his hair during class or whatever.”

Taehyung opens his mouth and closes it again. “I don’t know the guy.”

Jungkook groans loudly. “That’s what you _always_ say.”

“How ever do we do anything?” Grandma cackles, beaming a toothy grin. “You ask, of course.”

-

“It’s the age of daring. It’s the only time we have. We must live in the present. We are young and alive.”

— Wicked

As crowded as mornings go, lunch time is more of an organized mess as everyone goes down the cafeteria. Taehyung supposes no other force on earth can humble people into discipline than hunger and there's actually a proper line and all. That isn't to say there isn't a mess anyway, just organized and loud.

Very loud.

The limestone brick wall makes everything echo back and it's noisy. The black cafeteria tables are circular, fitting six people and are scattered everywhere in the spacious room. They're spaced quite well apart but Taehyung can still hear the ridiculous conversation of their neighbor. He doesn't even know why he bothers eating down here but for everyone, it's sort of a habit. Or a learned ritual.

As per usual, a fight breaks out now and again as people line up for food which is why Taehyung and Jungkook bring their own. Nobody ever bats an eye when someone complains of another person cutting in line, or bumping into their tray, it’s whatever.

But.

It’s Yoo Jeongyeon and two of her pals, the three of them chatting enthusiastically as they go up to the end of the line and minding their own business insofar as everyone is concerned. Jeongyeon is making big gestures as she talks while her two friends take turns flicking at each other’s black bowties and nodding along at what she’s saying.

She likely didn’t mean it due to her excitement but she flaps her arms twice and brings it down right onto Park Jimin’s tray as he passes by and for a brief moment, the cafeteria is filled with the echoing sound of the metal tray slamming onto the minton flooring along with its contents.

The cafeteria actually stays silent for a good second as they stare at the disaster and then start up again in the next second.

Jeongyeon and her friends look shocked, Jeongyeon bowing in apology although she looks more flustered than sorry and Jimin just...stands there. Looking down at the remnants of his lunch on the floor.

Taehyung thinks he’s been looking stressed recently.

“What’s going on there?” comes a large booming voice and everyone turns to see one of the lunch attendants stomping out from the kitchen doors, eyeing at the spilled food on the floor with anger. He’s a large man with olive skin, wearing a little gray kitchen apron and a small chef’s hat and Taehyung swears his biceps get larger when he sees the mess. “Who’s here wasting my food?”

Jeongyeon raises both her hands, bristled.

“It was an accident, I swear! I didn’t see—”

The lunch attendant swipes at a wooden spatula tucked into his apron and points it towards Jeongyeon, his face all pinched.

“Don’t swear!” he demands and points at Jimin next. “You! What do you have to say for yourself?”

Jimin doesn’t say anything. He’s still looking at his fallen lunch and sighing. His eyes are downturned and crestfallen, lips actually trembling as if he’s about to cry.

Taehyung has only seen him cry once and it was only because Seungcheol misread his tea leaves when they were partners in Divination and Jimin burst into tears, laughing at the results.

Now though, he looks like a kicked cat.

“Tsk,” the lunch attendant says.

“I was only walking,” Jimin gulps and Jeongyeon gasps.

“I didn’t mean it!” she says in disbelief.

"Detention!" the lunch attendant roars at Jeongyeon, waving his wooden spatula. Everyone gasps. "So you will never waste food again!"

"But I—"

"I won't hear it!" The timbre of his voice makes Taehyung's thumbs prickle. "What's your class and year?"

Jeongyeon stiffens, nervous and she glances back to her two friends who are both wide-eyed in fright.

"Um, Physical. Year Six."

The lunch attendant scoffs and turns to leave.

"It is remembered," he says ominously before thundering away.

The noise returns but Taehyung's ears are sharper.

"Why didn't you tell him it was an _accident!_ " Jeongyeon shrieks, likely from terror, at Jimin who merely looks down at her. "You just stood there without saying anything!"

Jimin merely shrugs, all at once no longer looking like he wants to cry and steps over his spilled food.

"Well, you did make me drop it," and simply walks away much to Jeongyeon's disbelief.

Taehyung releases a breath.

"Whew."

Beside him, still digging into his lunch without a care for his surroundings, Jungkook snorts. "That was nasty."

Jihoon rushes to their table holding a large, square metal tin.

"I missed something, didn't I?" He stops for a second to look around at the people who are awkwardly giving leeway to Jeongyeon who is wailing into her friend's arms.

"Someone got _detention,_ " Jungkook says around a chicken leg.

Jihoon's eyes widen and he slowly sits down with an awkward grimace.

Detentions are rare, almost legendary and only a few people have ever gotten it in the years Taehyung has been here, much less announced in public. Nobody knows what goes on in detentions and everyone who has been through it has been sworn into secrecy.

Taehyung looks at his brother blankly. "You want me to be frank with that guy? Him?"

Jungkook shrugs.

"You want me to die? He's invincible or something. You saw those eyes he did?"

Jungkook rolls his eyes.

"What in Hades' name is this?" Jihoon says with a frown as he turns over the metal tin in his hand. On the other side reads _ENJOY UR LUNCH FROM HYUNG_.

Jungkook looks over to read it and snorts. 

"Adorable."

Jihoon groans.

It's not very hard to think about Park Jimin as he slowly hauls his cauldron from up his room, down through one of their two staircases, into the foyer and through the doorway into the conservatory. He's probably left scratches on the wooden flooring for life and he hopes Joowon will forgive him. He probably needs a distraction anyway; Taehyung can hear Grandma's loud cackling from the kitchen, likely telling him about not so audience-friendly tales from her adventures.

So Taehyung doesn't mind the scratching and his mind lands on Park Jimin. Smart and perfect and tiny Park Jimin with his popular brain and popular smile.

Taehyung isn't at all bothered not being known by every one of the student body and frankly Jimin looks like he couldn't care less either. He's just so cunning and serious at times that Taehyung often thinks he would kill just to get the top spot so there's that. Irritation.

Always feeling like he has to catch up.

Taehyung’s not surprised when he sees Jungkook already in the conservatory, grumbling to himself.

He’s seated at their long wooden table, a huge verdigris vase in front of him that he likely took out from the kitchen, and a large stack of red roses that he’s angrily snipping off, leaving just the thorny stems to put into the vase.

It’s almost like a renaissance painting—an angry man with messy black hair, dressed down in a loose shirt and black pants, surrounded by heads of red roses as he’s snipping them off from the stem, only lit by moonlight and the crystal sconces on the walls.

Taehyung snorts. “Scoot over.”

Jungkook sighs but does it anyway, moving the bunch of roses and his thorny bouquet away as Taehyung hauls his cauldron up the table with a huff. He takes out the list of ingredients from his jacket pocket as Jungkook starts to rant.

“We started practicing the dance today,” he says. “But we can never get along with the arrangement. I’m too tall for this, I said. Tell me something I don’t know, he said.”

“Kook, what do you want me to say?”

“Nothing! Let me hate him in peace!”

“This isn’t exactly peaceful.”

“I hate his guts and I’m pretty sure he hates mine.” Jungkook eyes the paper Taehyung is holding and raises an eyebrow. “Are you going to do it?”

Taehyung shrugs and grins. “Why not? It’s just a potion. It’d be nice to know what it does. Although…” he peruses through the ingredients and his laugh makes his brother look at him strangely.

Taehyung only grins. “It’d be hard to do this if I don’t know him, huh?”

It turns into a cycle—everyday Taehyung would see him in class and watch him leave, and it takes him a while to realize he’s never actually made a friend in person. Once you’re in school you get forced to interact with a certain number of people and over the years you just end up assuming they’re by default, your friends.

“It _looks_ like a star,” Seungcheol mutters, holding on to Taehyung’s tea dregs and he’s trying his best to read them. He turns it around. “But here it kinda looks like the sun too, huh? You know what? I really think tasseomancy isn’t right for me.”

Taehyung takes his teacup back with a serene smile, chin propped onto his hand as he stares at Seungcheol who is despairing at the mess of tea leaves on their table. They’re partners this time and Taehyung couldn’t think of anyone better to ask.

“You made it all the way here to give up now,” Taehyung grins a boxy smile and Seungcheol looks taken aback, if not a little moved so he starts brewing a new cup again.

“Cheol-ah,” Taehyung says. “Jeonghan is your best friend, right?”

Seungcheol pauses to blink up at him with his long lashes.

“Er, yeah? I’d say so, yeah.”

“Right. Jimin’s your friend too right?”

Now Seungcheol looks bewildered. “Jimin? Park Jimin? _That_ Park Jimin?” He points way behind Taehyung.

Again, Jimin is seated way up front near the professor’s desk, huddled with his partner over their own teacups. He’s not too far from where Taehyung and Seungcheol are; the Divination classroom is tiny in comparison to all the other rooms in the castle. It’s basically the attic—the highest point in the building, and tinted cloths are draped all over the ceiling making everyone feel like they’re in a tent.

Taehyung smiles wider. “Yes. _That_ Park Jimin.”

The realization makes Seungcheol ease back into a smile.

“Oh. I guess he is a friend. He was my partner a few times in other classes too, he’s a decent guy.” Seungcheol inclines his head. “I’ve never talked to him outside of class though.”

A decent guy, Taehyung nods.

“Why not?”

Seungcheol mulls it over. “You know what? You’re right. Why not? I should do it. He just leaves really quickly since he has a part-time job, I heard. But I’ll do it, we have breaks anyway. You’re pretty smart, Tae.”

Taehyung wonders if he should start compiling things to look over in a tiny black book.

He laughs at Seungcheol’s remark and takes his cup of tea for reading.

“Thank you,” he says.

_Have a good day at school_ , Coop says as he drops them off and quickly rolls away the next instant.

“There’s something I learned yesterday,” Taehyung tells Jungkook the moment Coop leaves and Jungkook takes his time flicking off unseeable lint from his jacket before they go face the mess of the morning hallway.

“And you couldn’t be bothered to have said it during dinner and breakfast?” Jungkook says, the smartass, opening his hands in a sarcastic manner that Taehyung wants to slap it away.

“No. The drama wasn’t right,” Taehyung fires back, making a face. Jungkook sticks his tongue out at him. “Also Grandma was there.”

“About that,” Jungkook interjects. “When is she leaving? I miss taking a bath and not having someone barge in even if you locked the door just for them to admire the porcelain claw-foot bathtub.”

“Right,” Taehyung sighs. “Probably just waiting on her pirate friends. But anyway—Park Jimin has a part-time job.”

A car rolls him behind them and they don’t bother to look. Jungkook stares at him oddly.

“Okay. What’s that got to do with me?”

Briefly, they hear two car doors opening, Jihoon’s snarky complaint and an answering amused laugh.

Taehyung groans in exasperation. “Forget I even said it.”

“Hyung, what are you doing?”

They both turn and see Jihoon still on the pavement, standing beside his brother’s car with his hands on his hips. His brother is out of the car for once, smiling crookedly and very teasing as he leans on the hood of the car.

“Nothing,” he crosses his arms and feigns innocence, “I’m just taking you to school.”

Taehyung realizes this may be the first time they’ve ever actually seen his almost mythical brother. He’s not very tall although he can’t say he’s short either. He's pale, like Jihoon, and he looks dressed up, probably for work. He's wearing a long black and red velvet coat, long enough to reach his knees with gold paisley etchings. Underneath is a simple white shirt and black pants. Simple enough but he's also wearing a rolex watch and a gold ring so there's that. 

A large circular pendant hangs around his neck, an hourglass embossed on the silver so he presumably works with time.

“Show-off,” Jihoon huffs in satoori.

“Who, me?” his brother replies, also in satoori.

Taehyung laughs to himself and glances at Jungkook.

“Guess he isn’t a myth after all…” he starts to say and drifts off when he sees Jungkook is pointedly not listening.

He’s staring at Jihoon’s brother with a vacant, starstruck expression like he’s never seen another human being before. Taehyung blinks, looks back at Jihoon’s brother and back at Jungkook.

Okay.

It takes more hustling for Jihoon to finally get his brother back on the road, a very petulant _Yoongi-hyung!_ sends his brother laughing and getting into his car, ignoring all the stares they’re getting from other students.

Jihoon’s face is red with embarrassment as he catches up to Taehyung and Jungkook.

“I’m never riding with him to school again,” he says, rubbing his face. “I’ll take our other car! Who cares!”

Taehyung is still glancing at his brother who’s now eyeing Jihoon almost in a trance.

Taehyung beams. “I think,” he puts an arm around Jihoon much to his puzzlement, “it’s really kind of your brother to drive you to school so he should definitely do it more.”

Jihoon frowns.

"Uh, Uji, trick question," Jungkook says. "How old is your brother?"

Jihoon looks at him oddly. "Three years older, why?"

"Would you, hypothetically, ever consider me as your family,” Jungkook says in one breath.

Jihoon’s jaw probably falls to the ground. Taehyung is grinning widely.

"Don't do this to me, please." Jihoon jabs at Taehyung’s side and he bursts out laughing when he walks straight into the hallway.

Taehyung winks at his brother who scowls and pouts at the same time.

“Integrate into the Min family, why don’t you?” he laughs.

Their lockers, coffin-shaped as they are, put up with interesting stuff now and again. There are times Taehyung would pass by lockers completely being assaulted by fluttering, sparkling hearts by some creepy admirer.

There are however, unfortunate times when people are not in your favor and leave absolutely nasty things, one of which Taehyung finds when he turns to go to his locker. He smells it before he sees it.

Jimin stands in front of his open locker, not quite angry, not quite sad but a displeased vacancy on his face as he stares at the sardines pooling at his feet, with even more stuffed inside. The downside of everything, Taehyung thinks, once you’re high up above, when people adore you too much, they also get envious _too_ much.

Taehyung has seen this happen before—to Jimin, to someone else, although he’s only ever seen the remnants of it, with Jimin already mopping the floor to get rid of whatever smell there was or with someone magicking it out entirely. He’s never seen it this way like this.

Jimin notices him and Taehyung stands up straighter, hand gripping his bag tighter for some reason, when warm gold eyes regard him.

“Apologies if you want to get to your locker,” Jimin says, flatly. “You’ll have to wait a moment.”

That’s not even close to a problem. Taehyung easily shrugs one shoulder, quirking a smile.

Jimin clears his throat. “And um, it smells so you should just…” he does a shooing motion for him to go.

Taehyung doesn’t move and crosses his arms. “S’okay.”

A conflicted expression passes on Jimin’s face and a pinch settles in between his fair eyebrows. Taehyung sees his usually kempt blond hair is messy, likely from being run over by his fingers a one too many times. He should probably just go; it’s not really his business and Jimin is probably embarrassed by everything.

But then Jimin sniffs once and when Taehyung looks up he really does look like he’s about to cry from frustration, flustered with what he has to do first and unlike the cafeteria incident, he doesn’t look like a cutesy kicked cat.

No, just a person.

Taehyung releases a long, long breath and sets his bag down. Jimin doesn't notice him again until he's physically tapping his shoulder to make him move aside, albeit it makes him startle.

"W-What are you doing?" Jimin says, voice rising in pitch when Taehyung removes his pinstriped jacket and hands it to Jimin for safekeeping. Jimin takes it, stepping back as he's gestured but confused and flabbergasted.

Taehyung shakes his head calmly, opening his arms.

"Relax," he grins, "I don't mind sardines. I won't like it if it gets on my shoes, though."

"What? Are you mad? Get away from there!" Jimin exclaims as Taehyung steps even closer towards his locker.

It smells awful, that is for sure. For whatever reason, no other student has come by around since and the smell is probably why. Whoever did it really stuffed a heck lot of sardines in there, saturating nearly every one of Jimin's papers and other knicknacks he's shoved in his locker. 

"Taehyung-ssi," Jimin starts again although now he sounds pleading.

Taehyung turns around briefly to put a finger to his lips and shush him.

"I'm concentrating," he says.

In theory, it's supposed to be easy. They've made things disappear and reappear so many times in class and one thing they're repeatedly taught is that all vanished things go somewhere.

So somewhere it is, Taehyung tries to picture a random one in mind.

It's science in the way you have to feel through each individual rotting cell of each fish ensuring you don't miss a single one, go through all the suspended smell molecules in the air, make out all the disgusting intermolecular bonds making up the fish juice.

It's magic when Taehyung slowly turns one open palm upward, green sparks running out of his hand and making his veins turn a neon green. It's magic that makes the sparks snap vividly, burning brighter so that Jimin has to shield his eyes and it's magic that makes all the small little things start to disappear, the cells, the tiniest of molecules that each snap takes away. Taehyung merely speeds up the process—he flicks his hand down and outward and it vanishes one at a time, the sardines, the smell, the liquid that came with it.

It leaves Jimin with an otherwise clean locker although now that Taehyung's magic disappears, it smells a little burnt.

Jimin immediately rushes forward, his face is marred with incredulity and plain disbelief that he almost laughs hysterically.

"Where'd you send it?" he exclaims, slightly panicked. "Everything goes somewhere, you know!"

Taehyung shrugs both shoulders, nonplussed as he swipes his jacket from Jimin's hands and trots over to his bag.

"That somewhere is someone else's problem now, Jimin."

Jimin breathes hard, still scowling though definitely not about to cry anymore. Perhaps in shock, for one. He's staring hard at Taehyung and Taehyung is glad he's not one to get shy so fast. Jimin's eyes are running over his face, likely trying to read his expression.

Finally, Jimin relaxes.

"I thought you said you didn't know me," he says.

For some reason, this makes Taehyung laugh deeply. He shakes his head and extends his hand for a handshake, grinning in exhilaration.

"Well, maybe I don't."

-

“Yet my heart

Throbs to know one thing.”

— Macbeth, Act IV Scene I

Practicing astral projection in class, no matter how many times you've done it, is somehow always a win-lose situation. Sure you get to lie down and sleep but you also have to make sure your consciousness is still very much there so where's the fun in that? 

You might also want to make sure you can still feel the thread to your body or else you'll end up floating forever. It's not exactly comfortable. Taehyung is trying not to flinch as others who are not so adept like him, keeps trying to bump into his very passable form.

"I want you to start moving away from your body," their professor says, always the first thing he instructs.

A horrible decision, Taehyung thinks as he stares down at his physical body so plaintively asleep below him, right next to Seungcheol who may or may not be snoring but is currently already zooming around in class, uncaring if he passes through someone else.

Taehyung isn’t very good at moving with a see-through body, it’s especially hard when he tries to grab something for leverage and it passes right through his hand. So he likens it to swimming. He kicks his feet and it makes him drift forward, making sure his thread is still around his waist and tries to avoid running into someone else, which is hard considering the small space.

Eventually he manages to drift up to the front, their professor still surveying them all to make sure everyone is doing what they're told and barking instructions now and then and Taehyung is focusing too hard on his levitating feet that he nearly passes right through Park Jimin.

Unlike him, Jimin doesn't seem to have any problems moving around as if Taehyung could cite another reason why he's actually perfect. In fact, Jimin has his hands in his pockets, the picture of ease and he looks bewildered when Taehyung almost goes through him.

"Whoa," Taehyung says, grinning although he supposes his smile is translucent at the moment. "Hello."

Jimin only stares at him and Taehyung has never seen such a look of judgment directed to his face.

"Hello," Taehyung repeats in case he wasn't heard the first time. "How are you doing this,"

"Your brother is Jungkook," Jimin replies candidly, tilting his head in contemplation.

Taehyung holds up a finger immediately.

" _Younger_ brother," Taehyung corrects. "I've been trying to make him call me hyung for the past decade or so but apparently he says 'four minutes isn't at all relevant.'"

Jimin raises an eyebrow and sucks in a breath, his cheeks puffing up which he releases the next second.

Taehyung waves a hand dismissively.

"You know how it is."

"I'm an only child."

"Well then you don't...know how it is. Uh," Taehyung clears his throat. He can feel his body about to drift away and there's not much he can do about it. He looks at his kicking feet sheepishly. “Uh,” he says again.

The look on Jimin’s face as he watches Taehyung trying not to stumble back is probably pity.

“Don’t….” Jimin struggles to say, looking bothered. He motions to extend a hand and thinks better about it and stops. “Don’t move around too much,” he finally says, eyebrows pinching.

Taehyung blinks, slowly moving backward. “Huh?”

Jimin starts to fluster, unable to explain himself well that he splays his fingers to his sides. 

“Just...just let it happen,” he says, glancing away. “You won’t stumble that way.”

Taehyung brightens immediately. “Oh! I’ve tried but—”

“Yeah, okay, bye,” Jimin interjects and in a rush, turns around and starts floating away, seemingly harried.

Taehyung purses his lips and stares at Jimin's hurriedly retreating form and nods to himself, already floating dangerously close to their professor's table.

"Right. Good talk."

He tries again.

Magic comes with every stroke of Taehyung's brush as they all try to recreate an image of their most recent dream on canvas. He holds onto his palette tightly with one hand and stares at the swirling colors of paint smudged against the smooth wooden surface of it. He realizes belatedly he's run out of an important color and he eyes his painting long enough to wonder if he can go without it.

It's a theater mask, all white with openings for the eyes but no mouth, a smooth mask betraying no emotion. It lies on a bed of wet, wilted dark roses a flurry of moody colors behind the white. It's the dark olives, the maroon, the muted pinks. 

Taehyung doesn't dream often but when he does it's nothing short of nonsensical. Sometimes it's the swirling blue moonrise, a view from a window outwards to the stars. Other times he drifts down a river like the aftermath of Ophelia falling from the willow tree.

He definitely needs that color.

He looks up at the other students busy poring over their own canvas, a hard feat this time as they're all spaced a little further apart.

They're holding classes in the Great Hall today, an enormous ballroom with nothing but empty armored knights lined by the walls. Tall windows let natural light in, magnifying the dust motes floating in the air. Everyone is silent as they work as every sound echoes, the only sounds are the quiet humming of some, the clicking noises now and again as paint brushes and bottles drop and roll across the marble floor.

They don't have a permanent classroom for Contemporary Magic unlike the physical class. They change rooms each day, chosen at random by their professor and students have to figure it out on their own through sheer will although they've learned to cope up with this through the years. 

When they hold the class in the Great Hall, however, Taehyung finds it enjoyable. He can stretch his whole body without much of a worry about hitting someone. The only problem of course—he can't peek too well.

Now though...he really needs this color.

When he tiptoes and eyes over his canvas in an attempt to be sneaky, his eyes inevitably land on the canvas of a one Park Jimin, as usual, way ahead of him up front.

Jimin is painting what seems to be a view of the night sky dotted with stars, from a white balcony of a house. On the balcony ledge sits a calico next to a tied yellow balloon.

"Wow," Taehyung whispers when he's creeped up right behind Jimin and Jimin, entirely immersed with what he's doing, startles so badly he jumps a foot in the air.

Taehyung watches in amusement as Jimin whips around to send a glare his way, both looking disturbed and irritated. Taehyung can almost hear his pounding heartbeat.

"W-What do you want?" Jimin hedges.

Taehyung points at Jimin's painting, a matter-of-factly. "You're very good."

Jimin narrows his eyes in suspicion, holding his paintbrush tightly like a weapon. 

"Do you need anything?"

Taehyung grins his boxy smile. "Do you have any verdigris paint?"

Jimin still looks wary although he seems to be mulling it over. Regardless, he crouches towards his box of paint and starts rummaging while Taehyung continues beaming. It's nice to have friends.

Jimin finds the tiny bottle of green paint and shoves it towards Taehyung.

"There, now go," Jimin tells him hastily.

Taehyung peers at Jimin's painting one last time and winks.

"You have beautiful dreams," he says.

Jimin corners him in one of the dark abandoned hallways once they finish class and they've all packed up to leave and the moment Taehyung finishes locking up his paint box, he feels a hand grab his arm and starts dragging him away.

He doesn't even manage to muster up panic—this is the single most exciting thing that's happened to him today, even moreso when he finds it's Jimin who now stands in front of him, arms sternly on his sides and glaring.

Taehyung hugs his paint box to his chest and grins.

Of course, this only irks Jimin even more.

"Why are you doing this?" he hisses, voice low even though they're literally the only people around aside from a single armored knight next to Taehyung. "We're not friends!"

Now this is surprising. Taehyung's sure he followed the steps and all.

He raises his eyebrows, way up and feels bewildered.

"We're not?" he wonders. "But we shook hands and everything..."

Jimin laughs once in disbelief as though he can't even grasp the audacity.

"You think that's what friendship is?" Jimin snaps. "Literally days ago you said you didn't know me and now you're everywhere!"

Everywhere? He hasn’t been _everywhere._

"To be fair, I really didn't."

This doesn't do anything to placate Jimin.

"Is it because you helped me with my locker once? You think I owe you now?"

"Jimin, that—"

"I could have done it myself, for your information!"

Jimin is breathing hard from emotion and he's a bit pink in the face. His gold eyes are glowing with anger. He's clutching his paint box tight and Taehyung hopes he's not about to swing it around.

Taehyung regards him, still hugging his own box close, and tilts his head.

"Did you think I was making fun of you?"

Jimin blinks a couple of times, a bit taken aback.

Taehyung shrugs easily. "Well, I wasn't. And I do know for a fact you would've done it by yourself as you have done for the past five years." He quirks a small smile. "I didn’t expect anything; I just thought we're friends."

"We're not friends."

"I think we share the same theory," Taehyung says gamely, unbothered. "You know how in school there's forced interaction so you _think_ you're friends with people but really it's only because you see them every day. We should discuss that theory sometime—"

Jimin sighs exasperatedly. "Your brother hates me."

Taehyung stares at him, perplexed. 

"You don't know that."

"He has told me explicitly."

Ah, there's the rub.

"I'm not my brother, though," Taehyung still smiles, undeterred. “If I were, I wouldn’t be standing here right now.”

“I know that!” Jimin hisses back, cheeks turning red and now Taehyung is surprised. He eases his hold on his paint box and takes one step towards Jimin who seizes up immediately.

“Then why are we arguing?” he says as he peers into Jimin’s face, the latter looking more embarrassed than angry now.

"I'm not arguing with you, I just want you to quit being a false acquaintance!"

Taehyung inclines his head once more with a small laugh.

"Why would I need to be false with you, Jimin?" he says and shakes his head. “That would be needlessly cruel, I think.”

This only makes Jimin scoff and he turns on his heels to walk away. Taehyung instantly bursts into action and he trots to keep up with Jimin’s still angry pace.

“So what about that theory, huh?” Taehyung grins, waving a hand. “We should talk about it. I’ve got _plenty_ of free time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello how do u do it's a btsvt world i live in as u can see aasakjsdas this was never meant to be a chaptered fic but after it reached 20k words i just went oh im in danger so here we are lots of stuff from here on strap yer seatbelts...(this is a finished work and i'll be updating every few days)
> 
> largely influenced by Popular Song by Mika ft. Ariana Grande as i've mentioned like twice already pls watch the mv it's great! it samples the song from Wicked so u can see i've got references too!
> 
> big thanks to my beta [farrah](https://twitter.com/ivorytaetae) who i roped into this with me LMFAO literally what would i do without u  
> [catch me on twitter!](http://twitter.com/crossbelladonna)


	2. it's not about who you are

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Once there was a wicked witch...”
> 
> "Have you ever seen a rose bush too overgrown?" Jimin asks him suddenly, eyes low and voice muted.  
> Taehyung taps his nails on the table, humming.  
> "I'd say no."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _"It's not about who you are, or your fancy car."_ ([x](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmcdLOjGVzw))

“Once there was a wicked witch...”

— Wicked

_2 helpings, chunjang paste._

Grandma announces her departure at dinner, spreading her arms widely at the head of the table at the proud declaration much to Joowon's obvious relief as he's rolling out the dishes on the cart. Jungkook looks like he's barely holding in a whoop of joy. They love their grandmother obviously, but a week of snooping can only do so much.

"I'm leaving for Sumatra at the break of dawn!" Grandma announces with raspy glee. "I'll bring lots of 'em treats next time. Any requests?"

"Liquorice!" Taehyung wiggles in his seat as he waves his hands in the air, nearly jostling Joowon who is putting plates of food on the table.

" _Not_ bones," Jungkook holds up a finger in reminder.

Grandma _tsks._ "My sweet grandchildren you should ask some more. How 'bout a cauldron? New shovels?"

"A Catherine wheel for the garden?" Taehyung suggests a moment later while Jungkook merely shrugs from across him.

Grandma seems pleased. "Much better. Now, I wanted to help you with something," she bends down underneath the table to grab something so that her voice becomes momentarily muffled. "A li'l kickstarter I'd say..."

When she surfaces back up, she hurls up onto the table a medium-sized onggi pot, Jungkook quickly pulling her dinner plate out of the way in the blink of an eye.

Grandma looks proud of herself, grinning a wide boxy smile as she pats the pot tenderly.

"Chunjang," she says, "for your potion."

"Jiminie."

Taehyung is already beaming even if Jimin regards him with a nasty look. He's got him deliberately cornered this time—they're partners for Nonverbal Spells. Fate is on Taehyung's side for once.

"Don't call me that," Jimin snips from behind his book.

The past few days, Jimin remained frosty and would pointedly veer away to the other direction the moment he so much as senses Taehyung's presence.

"But it flows so well. You can call me Taehyungie or Taetae or Tae if you like, my friend."

"No."

They both face each other, a foot apart and prepare to send a nonverbal spell to the other's way. Despite this, their room is still noisy with mumbling anyway.

"To each his own," Taehyung says, smoothly. "What do you think about discussing our theory during lunch, huh?"

Jimin stares at him from the top of his open book. Taehyung stares right back freely until he feels something cold trickle all over his scalp. He instinctively raises a hand to his head and when he grasps at the strands of his hair to look, he sees it's turned temporarily blue.

"Oh, wow! I've never had this hair color before," Taehyung muses. To Jimin and close to a retaliation, he focuses on the light above his head, concentrating on the miniscule rays and manipulating it downward so that when Jimin comes to, a rain of sparkling lights are showering over his head, much to his surprise and Taehyung watches Jimin's eyes widen, palm unconsciously opening to catch the light fall.

"A charming show of light, Taehyung-ssi," their professor glides over towards them and claps Taehyung on the shoulder with a bright guffaw. She calls everyone's attention to make them watch too and Jimin fidgets as all eyes fall on him. "Students, it takes a lot of practice to manipulate light, does it not?"

The answering echoes are in varying degrees of lesser and lesser enthusiasm.

Their professor grins at Taehyung, her bright smile almost blinding as she nods. "That's right, you have to be very delicate. And this hair—" she gestures to his blue locks with a flourish of a hand. This time, she turns her eye to Jimin with a proud grin. "Perfectly done, Jimin-ssi, as expected."

Jimin looks embarrassed by this, shaking his head and Taehyung releases a breath. Popular, popular Jimin.

"Good parrying, boys." Their professor says before slipping away towards another pair to ambush.

Jimin is a bit red in the face, holding his book with taut fingers and eyeing the words hard like the words hold the power to cease his existence. 

"So, lunch time?" Taehyung tries again with a laugh and the sparkles fall harder. Soon enough, they’ve gathered into a small pile onto Jimin’s shoulders like pixie dust—it matches his eyes and his hair. He’s quite beautiful.

Jimin looks incredulous and if anything, defeated.

“Will that get you out of my hair?” he tries.

Taehyung perks up. “Are you making a deal with me?”

Jimin runs a hand over his face exasperatedly, displacing the glitter all over his dark uniform.

“Sure, fine,” he opens his hands then, crossing his arms and scowling. “Let’s call it that, huh? What do you want? Let’s get this over with.”

Taehyung leans his weight to his left and shoves a hand into his pocket, smiling wide.

“Great!” he muses. “First we’ll talk about the classroom theory, very in depth mind you, and _then_ we become friends.”

Jimin rubs at his temple. “I don’t think you understand deals, I have to benefit from it too.”

“And being friends with me is that exact benefit.”

Jimin actually groans this time, he stomps back towards their shared desk that’s been pushed up the wall, hands in the air, at loss for words. Taehyung merely catches up to him with a teasing grin as Jimin slumps onto the table and he bends forward to peer at his face.

“You know what? Never mind,” Jimin mumbles, mostly to himself. “It’s whatever. I’ll just ignore your pestering! It’ll go away eventually. Give it another week and you’ll get bored of me.”

Taehyung chuckles. “On the contrary, you’re not at all boring, Park Jimin.”

It’s hard to divide your attention when you’re trying to actively listen to a current conversation amidst the cafeteria noise, putting in your own inputs as well while also looking out for a certain blond head to come around.

For all the teasing he did, Taehyung and Jimin didn’t have the same class before lunch so Jimin could skip it entirely to avoid Taehyung’s relentless attempts at conversation. That’d be a waste.

“...and my brother noticed it immediately!” Jihoon says, clenching his fingers around a fruit pouch, eyebrows pinching. “It didn’t even take him a second. His intelligence is annoying.”

There’s a short pause and Jungkook clears his throat.

“So Uji,” he says with the subtleness of oil in water, “how’s your brother these days?”

Jihoon instantly narrows his eyes in suspicion. “Uh, no offense. I know you’ve got a weird crush on him but I don’t see why. He's the living embodiment of how humans shouldn't continue as a species.”

“Uh, _full_ offense but your brother is really hot.”

Jihoon’s brother has been diligent in sending him to school and back each and every day, sometimes even packing him a dosirak with a doting message. Every day they’d get a peek of him albeit through rolled down windows as he’d bid Jihoon goodbye. He’s even gotten around to waving at Taehyung and Jungkook too (with Jungkook insisting they wait for their arrival) despite not having had introductions.

Jihoon clicks his tongue in disappointment. “I see your standards have dropped through the years.”

“You literally just praised him and called him intelligent.”

“He’s a genius but at what cost.”

Taehyung chokes into his water bottle as he bursts into laughter. Jungkook rolls his eyes.

“Put it this way,” Jihoon drawls and gestures to his general being. “Would you date me? Absolutely not. That’s what it’s like.”

Taehyung raises his water bottle in a toast. “I would!”

This makes Jungkook snort under his breath.

“Don’t let Soonyoung hear you saying that.”

Jihoon splutters impressively and Taehyung immediately zeroes in on him with an unblinking grin.

“Who’s Soonyoung?”

Jungkook laughs nastily. “Uji’s boyfriend.”

“ _He’s not my boyfriend._ ”

“Sure.”

Taehyung hums and taps the water bottle cap against his chin in amusement.

“I see now when people get into the physical classes they always have an agenda.”

“Speak for yourself!”

Taehyung beams and pats Jihoon’s hand. “You can leave my brother be, Uji. He’s never had a crush, that’s why.”

Jungkook kicks his shin. “Shut up, it’s not like you’re not waiting for _Park Jimin_ to walk in here right now.”

Taehyung widens his eyes blankly. “Who?”

“I hope you miss your project.”

“I’m better at hexing than you—ah.”

The blond head. Very cautiously stepping into the cafeteria and trying to be discreet by hiding his face behind a lunch tray that practically already made him a target. Taehyung quirks a smile.

“Excuse me,” he cackles and sits up and out their table.

Jihoon’s eyes follow him, puzzled. “What’s up with him?”

Jungkook sighs. “Annoying people is his specialty.”

Jimin actually growls in frustration when he hears Taehyung approach.

“Hello, my friend,” Taehyung greets in a singsong, not at all minding the other people who are also in line and are now sending him an evil look just in case he’ll cut in line. He waves his hands harmlessly at them in reassurance. “I’m not cutting! Just accompanying my friend over here.”

“Shut up,” Jimin hisses as the line moves to the food.

“I suggest the quiche,” Taehyung says. “Very fun to dissect, you find all sorts of things in the cafeteria quiche.”

Jimin pointedly ignores every food suggestion that Taehyung points at, at the buffet and attempts to escape when Taehyung expertly blocks his way with his too long arms. He tilts his head, boxy smile goading. 

"Look at that!" Taehyung points in a general direction that Jimin doesn't look at. "A miraculously empty table, lucky huh?"

"Sure," Jimin deadpans. "How lucky."

Taehyung herds them both to the said table, all the way to the other side of the cafeteria.

"I already ate, by the way!" Taehyung informs him as soon as they're seated. "I always eat with my brother."

Taehyung can feel Jungkook's glare all the way across the noise and the sea of people. He cheerfully chooses to ignore it.

"Your brother is glaring at me," Jimin says, stabbing a potato on his plate with unnecessary viciousness.

Taehyung waves a hand flippantly. "Oh, that's just how he looks. He's a pushover, actually so don't mind it too much."

Jimin looks at him oddly, his mouth a downward turn and a tiny scowl on his face like he's thinking hard.

"Everything alright?" Taehyung wants to know, leaning an elbow onto the table and resting his chin on his palm.

"I feel like I'm in a nightmare or something."

"Ah, that's just a normal reaction! People get nauseous around me a lot. It'll pass."

"I don't think—"

Taehyung laces his fingers together in a weak attempt at seriousness.

"So, Jiminie, you have friends."

"If I had friends I wouldn't be sitting hostage here right now," Jimin tells him flatly.

Taehyung leans closer, inching forward onto the table, eyes wide.

"But you know people."

Jimin purses his lips for a moment. "They know how I work but they don't know who I am."

"Then you _do_ agree."

"T-To what?"

"My theory," Taehyung says smugly. "School interactions make you believe you've got real friends but you realize it's only because you see them every day."

Jimin mulls it over, almost begrudgingly. He'd been meaning not to respond to Taehyung at all.

"Not always," he mutters, pushing around his food. "You've got Jihoon, don't you?"

Taehyung shrugs. "Sure, but I don't know a lot about Uji either."

A small smile appears on Jimin's face as he scoffs.

"You don't need to know everything about your friends, you know. You just have to be there for them as they are with you."

Taehyung blinks. "Is that based on empirical evidence?"

Jimin snorts unhelpfully. "No—common sense. You're a terrible friend."

Taehyung gestures to him pleasantly.

"You're mine, aren't you?"

"I never agreed to this, Tae."

Taehyung backtracks the retort he was about to make to stare at Jimin openly with surprise, eyebrows raising, eyes widening, chin falling off his palm.

Jimin looks as surprised as he is, blinking at Taehyung in alarm. His eyes are a bit shaky as he looks around.

"Um, what's wrong?"

Taehyung smiles crookedly.

"Oh, nothing. You just said my name."

"How about a ride home? If you want to of course, friend."

Taehyung never thought Jimin could walk so fast. He's practically zooming through the hallway nevermind that the end of the day is as chaotic as mornings with everyone rushing to go home.

He’s not sure where his brother is; Taehyung just assumes he’ll live.

Jimin stops abruptly just as they’re making it to the door and Taehyung nearly barrels onto his back.

“I have a car,” Jimin informs him shrewdly.

Taehyung claps his hands once. “Wonderful! So do I.”

Jimin looks unimpressed. “Bye,” and walks right out the door.

Taehyung follows him only to see if Coop has arrived and thinking that Taehyung is following him again, Jimin sends a glare his way. Taehyung raises his hands and slowly steps to the side.

“Ah—Taehyung, right?”

Taehyung and Jimin both turn to see Jihoon’s brother sauntering towards them, hands in his pockets. He walks like he’s got his life together and he probably does. There’s nothing like a man with stability; no wonder he’s made Jungkook’s knees nearly buckle a couple of times. He’s wearing a different coat this time, velvet and dark green and still long enough to reach behind his knees. The pendant hanging from his neck glints as he walks, his expensive wristwatch twinkling.

“Jihoon’s hyung!” Taehyung beams widely, waving both his arms.

Like his brother, he seems to be shy around extra attention, looking surprised and if not a little pink in the cheeks. Quite incongruous from how he carries himself.

“Right,” he smiles a tiny smile. “Have you seen Jihoon?”

Taehyung has not, in fact, seen Jihoon.

“Oh! Um…”

They both glance sharply towards Jimin who’s rubbing his shoulder.

“I’m in class with him,” he says. “He was wrapping things up when I left. Jungkook was helping him with something but he should be out soon.”

Jihoon’s brother nods. “Thank you. I’ll just wait.”

Taehyung grins and motions to Jimin. “This is Jimin and he’s my friend.”

Jimin blinks at him in shock, jaw dropping to the ground. Taehyung’s positive he’s about to receive a punch when Jihoon’s brother extends his hand.

“Oh, that’s—that’s nice? I’m Yoongi, you can call me hyung.”

Jimin shakes his hand while turning his head to Taehyung to mouth a very quick _I’ll kill you._

There’s a soft ringing noise coming from Yoongi’s pocket all of a sudden and he looks flustered at the intrusion.

“My bad,” he mumbles, all sheepish as he peers owlishly at his phone. “Let me just get this for a second.”

The moment he’s walked far enough towards his idle car, Taehyung puts his hands on his hips and whistles.

“Oof, well I definitely get it now,” he says.

Jimin rubs at his forehead, confused. “What?”

“Jungkook’s got a thing for him or something,” Taehyung waves a hand lazily. “And now honestly, I get it.” Taehyung shrugs. “Also, hey! You’ve got free blackmail on my brother now.”

Jimin scowls, a prominent occurrence. Taehyung wonders if there will be a day he won’t frown at his general vicinity.

“Are you...bullying me?” Jimin wants to know.

" _What?_ " Taehyung splutters. "Why would I do that?"

Jimin _looks_ like he's conflicted too.

"I don't know, honestly."

Footsteps come up to them so Taehyung has to look up. It's Jihoon with Jungkook following right behind him. When Jungkook spots Jimin though, he becomes all guarded like he's activated his fight or flight response while Jimin looks back at him defiantly. Hades knows how they're both going to make it through the rest of the school year.

"Why are you gathered here when you could be talking elsewhere?" Jihoon gripes.

"I was looking for Coop," Taehyung says at the same time Jimin goes, "I'm waiting for my chauffeur."

Taehyung turns smug instantly. "Also your hot brother is on the phone over there by the car and he was looking for you."

Jungkook snaps his head to Yoongi's direction so fast as Jihoon quickly backtracks.

"Excuse me, what did you just call my brother?" he says, dreadful.

"I have eyes," Taehyung says and gestures to them with a flick of his hand.

As cars round up at the entrance to pick up students, a vintage silver Mercedes-Benz comes quite close in particular and practically drifts its way right in front of Jimin until it comes to a stop.

Jimin awkwardly shifts on his feet, regarding the rest of them from underneath his eyelashes and stiffly bowing his head once before hurrying into the passenger seat.

Taehyung smiles calmly with an ill sort of calm as they all watch Jimin's car drive away. 

"So where's Coop?"

Jungkook sighs. "He's picking us up late, remember?"

"Fantastic. Now go find me the nearest drain and shove me into it."

Jungkook rolls his eyes. "Gladly."

Jihoon gives him a nasty eye. "Tae, snails are actively better at friendship than you are," and he slinks right toward his brother who waves at him.

Taehyung and Jungkook share a glance.

"Well, he's right," Jungkook shrugs.

_1 and a half ounce, spoken voice._

Quite rare as it is, not even explosives nor the enormousness of the mansion can abate Jungkook’s boredom. And if he can’t have fun then nobody in this house can have it too and everyone has learned it the hard way. So they go downtown (begrudgingly, and at Joowon’s haste) in the family limousine when Coop refuses to budge.

They make it to Whiskey Street and despite what the name seems to suggest, is not actually flowing with alcohol. It’s an old street with antique buildings and antique stores selling all kinds of goods and if you can name it, a store likely has it. Magical people and otherwise come here for ingredients and the street is perpetually filled with the smell of old magic, dark smoke, and something or other that takes a while to get used to if you’ve never been. 

Jungkook comes here mostly for the tarantula store.

“It’s not here!” Jungkook laments at an empty enclosure that had housed a large spider a few weeks back.

“Of course it’s not here,” Taehyung spats. He’s carrying Jungkook’s paper bags over his arm (more gunpowder) grumpily. “It’s been sold. I told you to buy it back then.”

“Then what am I gonna do now?”

Taehyung sighs. “How about we leave, huh? I’m tired, you’re not having fun, Joowon is being pecked by the magpies outside…”

Jungkook straightens up with a fairly determined expression.

“I’m going to negotiate,” he says and walks up to the counter.

“That’s out of the question—it’s been sold!” Taehyung yells after him as if anyone can control his brother. He’s tired. “Whatever,” he flicks his hand and walks out of the shop where he finds Joowon standing beside their car calmly while two magpies are standing on his shoulders.

“I’ll be around,” he says, walking on ahead without a reply, the paper bags swinging.

Taehyung can’t honestly say when he had last walked outside like this surrounded by people rushing to places, people who are pointedly _not_ students but actual adults who probably have real things like a job. He could go for weeks without going out with no problem at all.

So when he finds a building proclaiming to be a movie theatre, he's a bit dubious at first. He loves art, though. Movies are art, although he hasn't seen plenty. 

He pushes the double doors to see it fairly empty. There are movie posters in the hallway that Taehyung walks along, hanging in glass frames on the wall. Taehyung can't make out most of them, the titles simply going over his head although he does appreciate the hand-painted movie posters of a bride in a white wedding dress holding a shotgun and a shotgun shell bandolier strung across her chest, a single red balloon, and a crying lady with a large flower crown on her head.

The building is old, like the rest of the street and the threshold seems to groan at his steps. The light yellow fluorescent lights flicker now and then.

When Taehyung makes it to the main lobby, he finds the ticketing counter with a very beautiful dark-haired man in a pale violet suit reading a small blue book as he sits back casually in his chair, at ease without any customers so that he doesn't even notice Taehyung passing him by.

Further in there's a small diner, also empty with only one person manning the counter and he's diligently cleaning every nook and cranny of the cash register.

Lastly, and just adjacent to the diner, is a snack bar, fully stocked with a few popcorn machines churning around different sorts of colored popcorn. Notably, one popcorn sort is glowing.

The glowing popcorn is, as it turns out, the least interesting of it all when Taehyung steps forward to inspect it and comes face to face with an equally flabbergasted Park Jimin.

His blond hair is neat (as usual), gold eyes glowing with emotion (...as usual) and he's wearing a cute little red apron with a black embroidered popcorn bucket at the front pocket as his jaw meets the ground.

Jimin splutters unpleasantly.

" _Why are you_ —What are you—Are you _stalking_ me?" he wheezes, flustered and voice rising just a bit higher like a squeak, probably not wanting to attract his co-workers attention.

Taehyung breaks into his biggest smile of the day, completely forgetting the weight he's carrying in one arm.

"Jiminie!" he beams. "I would if I could but I was shopping with my brother and I got bored of him."

Jimin puts his face in his hands and murmurs something to himself that Taehyung can't hear so he goes back to checking out the popcorn.

He gets excited when he sees a popcorn tinted pitch black.

"Is this liquorice popcorn?" he says, excitedly. "How do I go about buying the entire machine?"

Jimin ends his soliloquy and he stares up at Taehyung in exasperation.

"You don't do that," he deadpans. "What are you doing here, really?"

"I told you! I'm here with my brother and our butler but Jungkook was being nasty so I left him." Taehyung shrugs. "You work here, huh? It's cool. Are you working for experience?"

Jimin is staring at him intently, likely gauging if he's lying in some way.

"Sure, experience," he replies with a sigh.

"I don't know a lot about movies," Taehyung tells him conversationally. "I've only watched recent ones like _Psycho_ and _The Shining_ and _Jaws_..." he lists down with his fingers.

"Tae, those are really old."

"Well, you know. I haven't been out a while."

Jimin looks defeated. "You know, you said you're harmless but I doubt it."

"You're mean, I love it, but I'm a customer, you know."

Jimin rolls his eyes. "I don't see you buying anything."

Taehyung points at one of the popcorn machines. "I said I'd buy it."

"You can't buy our damn machine, okay?"

"Alright, sheesh," he leans on the counter indulgently. "Isn't it lonely just waiting here?"

Jimin scoffs, raising an eyebrow. "Why? You're gonna give me your number, or something?"

Taehyung laughs, blinking at him.

"I would but I don't have a phone, it's just not convenient."

He gets a real frown this time and Jimin's look of judgment.

"Excuse me, did you just say you don't have a phone?"

"Yep!"

Jimin huffs in disbelief. "You mean to tell me your family is old money but you don't have a _phone?_ What are you going to do if there's an emergency? Hurl a carrier pigeon?"

"I trust pigeons, thank you very much. Also, my mother has that covered—she creates crystals by the way. And we can do magic, Jimin."

He's not listening. "It's...not convenient?" he stutters out, incredulous. He glances at Taehyung sharply. "Tell me what hellebore is used for."

"Potions to rid the mind of anxiety," Taehyung replies instantly at the top of his head.

Jimin smacks the countertop in frustration. “You're smart but you think phones are inconvenient."

"Look, if you're so disturbed by this then..." Taehyung quickly rummages through the paper bags and takes out a small, green glass bottle with a cork, bought just for a certain specific purpose and places it in front of Jimin. "Just say your name into this bottle."

Jimin looks instantly suspicious again. "You're not about to steal my soul, are you?"

Taehyung bursts out laughing, his eyes crinkling in laughter.

"You know, if you keep giving me ideas I might actually do it."

"You think you're so funny," Jimin says, sarcastically and yet swiping the bottle with one hand to inspect it anyway.

"Okay, Mr. Suspicious," Taehyung quips. "It's so I can send you a message in your dream or something."

Jimin scowls, opening the bottle. "I definitely don't want to see you in my dreams you're already here far too much when awake."

Taehyung grins. "Then you best be glad we're not friends, huh?"

_1 whole portion, something given._

Here we go, Taehyung tells himself as he stares at the strip of paper with a number that he had picked for partner painting. They're in the castle foyer this time, not too large so the others who've gotten their numbers are hurriedly looking for their partners so they can get a good spot to start painting. Taehyung wants the spot by the tall window overlooking the maze hedges in the garden so he hauls up his paint box and starts moving too.

 _95._ With his luck, he hopes he's got Jeonghan. He seems like he'd be fun to paint. He spots his lilac hair and finds him sitting on the long velvet burgundy couch with his legs extended out in front of him and likely waiting for his partner to approach him instead.

Taehyung waves his hand. "What did you get?"

Jeonghan sticks his tongue out at him. "Not yours. 1-0-4."

 _How'd you know?_ "Oh, well then."

"You can always do a Seungcheol," he says, pointing to the fireplace where Seuncheol has grabbed an antique chair and has stood on top of it and is yelling out his number.

"Where is 1-0-4?" he's shouting. "I'm not good at painting so hurry!"

Jeonghan sighs and takes his time to stand.

"Better make sure he doesn't fall and break his neck then," he claps Taehyung on the shoulder as he passes.

Once again, Taehyung is alone in a room of scurrying people whom he really doesn't feel like approaching one by one and he's wasting a lot of time so when he sees a familiar face, he jogs right there without another thought.

Jimin doesn't startle this time although his eyes do widen when Taehyung practically bounds right at him, grinning.

"What'd you get?" Taehyung wants to know.

"No. You'll jinx it."

"95?"

Jimin opens his mouth indignantly and closes it back again, looking angry. Taehyung laughs and his heart trumpets in triumph.

"Don't you just love it when you get paired with a friend for the second time around?" Taehyung muses as he nonchalantly herds Jimin to the last remaining windowsill, not looking out to the maze hedges though. Still, the bridal spiraea shrubs outside are quite picturesque.

"Sure," Jimin replies, blankly and he lets Taehyung maneuver him to sit on the gold pillows on the windowsill.

"You'll be the model okay?" Taehyung smiles. "I know you're really good at painting and you can render my handsome face on canvas but I'm not the best at enchanting moving paintings."

Jimin peers up at him and quietly hisses, "I'm not a model."

"You're already a model student so..." Taehyung shrugs. "Okay, are you alright with me moving you around or not?"

Jimin sighs in resignation. “Go on, not like you haven't been doing it already.”

He touches his shoulder, pushing a bit so Jimin scoots back, his right facing the window. Taehyung takes Jimin’s left elbow, directing it behind Jimin to lean against the wall behind him and turns his upper body to face Taehyung.

"Hike your right leg up the windowsill...ah no, only to your knees," Taehyung directs.

"Tae," Jimin warns.

"It'll be cool," Taehyung chuckles, walking back a bit to survey Jimin's pose with scrutiny. His eyes are roving and Jimin feels ridiculously self-conscious.

Taehyung crosses his arms, a thoughtful expression on his face and he clicks his tongue once.

"Maybe take your jacket off?"

Jimin straightens up. "I'm not stripping."

"Who said anything about stripping? Just your jacket."

Taehyung is back, pulling at the hem of Jimin's pinstriped jacket to encourage him. Jimin gives him one look and sighs again, moving quickly to take it off and pushes it into Taehyung's hands.

Taehyung purses his lips against a smile as he takes it and artistically drapes it over where Jimin's leg is going to go. He glances back at Jimin quickly—he's never seen him in just their gray button-up shirt before although he’s seen him in the performance arts class in a different shirt altogether. Jimin is rolling his sleeves, grumbling under his breath. He loosens his tie and pops the first two buttons of his shirt. He runs a hand through his hair.

He thinks about it for a second and the next thing Jimin sees is Taehyung removing his jacket too, placing it over Jimin's, cackling.

"There, now we're even, right?" Taehyung laughs. "Now you just have to look at me for a few hours, preferably with a good expression on your face. Maybe how you're feeling right now?"

"Resentment?"

"Oh, look at that I need to get an easel..."

It’s not supposed to be difficult—it’s just painting. There’s no silence in the room this time with some of the partners bickering now and then about not moving in poses that may be uncomfortable after a while but otherwise, it shouldn’t be difficult.

Taehyung didn’t know that Jimin can make this sort of expression though and he’s almost glad he’s sitting down and the canvas hides his face for the majority of the time.

Jimin had probably been sarcastic about resentment but either way, he doesn’t look resentful at all. He looks at Taehyung, chin up and bold with a smoldering fire in his eyes, lids hooded and lips slightly open and sultry. He looks daring enough to grasp the world into his hands.

It’s not exactly a comfortable position either as an hour passes and Taehyung gives him a short break before going back to painting again, he sees Jimin quietly cracking his neck before getting to it again without a single complaint.

For a second, Taehyung wonders if this is what he’s like when he performs and you manage to catch his eye.

“Sorry, are you tired?” Taehyung peeks out of the canvas with a smile.

Jimin rolls his eyes, making Taehyung laugh. “I’m concentrating, shut up.”

“You can complain a little, as a treat.”

“Don’t tempt me.”

“Hang in there,” Taehyung chuckles, his paintbrush now fluttering across the planes of Jimin’s face, committing to memory the shape of his eyes, the pink of his cheeks and his lips, his golden gaze, the drop of sweat from his temple.

Taehyung’s hand freezes involuntarily.

It’s not supposed to be difficult but his heart trumpets away regardless.

The Contemporary Magic class for the physicals are far more chaotic than any class Taehyung has ever been in. The only reprieve, of course, is that they've got the largest room by far and although the dance studio is old and the large chandelier has flickering bulbs now and again, there's always laughter abound.

Taehyung puts a hand in his pocket and leans against the doorway, trying to spot where his brother is. It's not often he'd come to wait for him but Coop is running a bit late today.

He doesn't catch where his brother is immediately however, instead he locks eyes with his brother's too tall best friend whose sweaty brown hair is plastered all over his forehead.

When he sees Taehyung, he grins wide, prominent canines and all and jogs towards him, not before shouting over his shoulder, "Jungkook! Your hyung is here!"

"Shut up, Mingyu!"

Hearing Jungkook's voice amidst Mingyu's loud laughter, Taehyung finally sees him further away in a corner huddled next to a speaker, his ear stuck right against the box and likely listening to the individual beats intently.

"You're waiting for him though right?" Mingyu asks and points to the benches next to them. "You can sit down. Hoseok-hyung just left and I still can't hypnotize with my dancing."

Taehyung follows him to sit, lacing his fingers together. The benches face the large wall mirrors surrounding three sides of the room and Taehyung can see his exhausted expression.

"Is that so?" he says. "Well, I don't know what to say about that, Mingyu."

Mingyu stares at him for a moment and seemingly comes to a realization.

"Can I hypnotize you?"

"Uh, no offense but I don't trust you enough for me to be sure you're not going to make me dance around naked."

Mingyu bursts into laughter. "Fair. Jimin made it seem so easy though."

Every joint in Taehyung's body locks in on itself at once. Right. Jimin is here and remembering this, for some reason, has his hearing zoning in on a familiar laugh that has him slowly (discreetly) looking up and spots Jimin at the far end of the room. Jimin is rolling on the floor laughing as a gray-haired classmate is acting out what is presumably an impression of a tiger.

Jimin makes _everything_ look easy.

Just earlier Taehyung had watched him breathe enchantment into the painting they'd done together, yellow light bleeding out of his fingertips and seeping into the canvas and in the canvas Jimin blinks, breathes, sweats just as he did as he was being painted.

"Of course he did," Taehyung says.

"It was cool but Jungkook can't really be hypnotized so he had to borrow someone else for a bit."

Jungkook definitely can but the fact that it was Jimin was probably enough reason he was able to break away from whatever trance he was put under so fast. Hate is definitely a strong emotion.

"And I definitely botched it," Mingyu laments. "But I'm trying again and—Oh! Jihoon!"

Jihoon does a double take when he sees Taehyung sitting there smiling slyly. He releases a breath, resigned, and kicks off his shoes as Mingyu walks up to him like a puppy.

"Let me hypnotize you," Mingyu says.

" _No more!_ " Jihoon hisses. "Twice is enough, I've had it! Where is your partner?"

There's a pause and blankly, Mingyu juts his thumb right towards the gray-haired boy who is still teasing Jimin with his tiger impersonation.

Jihoon clicks his tongue and calls out, "Soonyoung!"

The gray haired boy looks up and seeing Jihoon scowling, he immediately gets up with both his hands together in a placating gesture. For some reason, Taehyung has a sudden epiphany that's so uncanny and he rapidly rummages through the pages in his memory trying to remember what that is.

"Sorry, sorry, have I been neglecting you?" Soonyoung says lightheartedly as he approaches, his wide smile making his eyes disappear. He has an arm around Jimin whom he has pulled along despite Jimin stubbornly holding his ground so that the short tussle that occurs has the black shirt he wears for this class ride up at the belly.

Taehyung's brain drops around the vicinity of his knees.

Soonyoung though. _Soonyoung._ Boyfriend Soonyoung. His eyes dart meaningfully towards Jihoon who looks back at him balefully with a red warning in his eyes.

 _Don't you dare,_ he mouths and Taehyung is filled with glee.

"Ah—" Jimin squeaks and Taehyung's gaze moves straight back at him.

"I have to go practice with Jungkook again or he'll get mad," Jimin says, extricating himself from Soonyoung's hold. He grins teasingly and starts walking away.

"O-Oh!" Taehyung pipes up like a fool, standing up like he had just popped out of the ground. All eyes fall on him at once.

Jimin pauses to stare at him, confused.

"I'm coming," Taehyung says and to Mingyu and the rest, "we're friends, you know?"

Jimin makes a big show of rolling his eyes and doesn't wait up when he starts walking off again so Taehyung rushes to catch up to his pace.

"Hypnotism, huh?" he tells Jimin, conversationally.

"Yep."

"Cool, uh," they're getting closer to Jungkook who's now hugging the speaker although when he spots them coming, he glares at Jimin again. "What's he being mean about this time?"

Jimin snorts. "He can't hypnotize me either."

Great.

Taehyung sits on the floor a few paces away and watches them both converse in awkward, clipped phrases as they go through the arrangement and they're both so stiff around each other it's almost amusing.

The amusement disappears though when Jungkook walks over to the speaker momentarily to play their song and the world turns silent as a haunting, calming voice of a woman croons through.

All the awkwardness disappears the moment they start to dance and Taehyung has always appreciated Jungkook's utmost passion for it so much that his entire persona changes into completely someone else. Someone else with burning eyes, grace in his limbs and carrying the individual beats in his footing. No longer is this person carrying a grudge; he dances on par just as he would with a friend.

Jimin is a lot different. Through the mirror he sees the same person he had been with in the castle foyer. The same person with light in his fingertips, bold eyes and sultry gaze. Every time Taehyung had seen him dance he had always been too flustered to look, prefering to stare at Jungkook instead, a more comfortable option.

He's about to do just this until, through the mirror, Jimin catches his eye and latches on and Taehyung can no longer look away.

Ah, there it is.

Taehyung can't help but stare back unblinkingly, gaze not breaking as Jimin runs his hand through his body and sways to the choreography as though he made it.

What's going on? In the echo of his mind, Taehyung wonders if this is what being hypnotized feels like. Probably not but his palms are breaking into cold sweat for whatever reason.

He should look away. There are more important things to focus on and his fingernails dig into his palms as he thinks. Getting the highest grade next time perhaps, learning to maintain a friendship would be another, his Potions—

Taehyung bursts out of his reverie when Jimin claps his hands once and the short trance is broken. When he blinks, they’ve finished the dance and Jungkook’s on the floor crawling towards the speaker again like a lifeline. Jimin is sitting on the floor, one knee raised as he tries to catch his breath, hanging his head back...and Taehyung can’t stop watching.

 _Get a grip_ , says the tiny goblin inside his brain.

Get a grip. Jimin straightens up and chews on his lip, deciding whether he should call Jungkook or not.

“Jungkook,” he says anyway. Jungkook groans, his face right into the box of the speaker.

“No,” Jungkook’s voice is muffled.

“Pass me a water bottle.”

“ _No._ ” There’s an entire crate of water bottles right next to the speaker.

“Will you stop being difficult?” Jimin says in exasperation and runs a hand through his sweaty hair and it stays up.

Taehyung should maybe...go.

Not to be outdone, Jungkook moves instantly, lashing out towards the crate and starts hurling several bottles of water towards Jimin who immediately shouts in complaint.

“Ah, geez!” Jimin yells, nearly falling backward when he stands abruptly as he attempts to catch the bottles rolling towards him. Taehyung, still sitting, scoots back politely away from Jimin’s irritation.

The sight is a little funny. Jimin's standing there fuming, seven water bottles cradled in his arms. He grumbles loudly as he sets them down one by one and Taehyung grins. Jimin notices and the grin immediately disappears, wondering if he should bolt in case Jimin decides to pitch all seven bottles right at him.

Instead, Jimin only inclines his head, his eyebrows still a little pinched.

"Do you want it?" he points at one of the bottles.

Now this is a surprise.

"Sure?"

Jimin crouches down and lays a bottle on the floor, gently rolling it towards Taehyung with a flick of his finger. It hasn't even reached him yet when Jimin stands once more, taking another bottle with him and opening it as he walks away towards Soonyoung and Mingyu.

Taehyung stares at the bottle in his hand and when he hears a snort, turns over his shoulder and sees his brother now sitting up and leaning his whole side onto the speaker. He's wearing a snide expression.

"'Unnerving' huh?" Jungkook smirks.

Taehyung gives him a rude gesture with his hand.

They're driving home, Coop telling some sort of story that Jungkook is laughing so much about and it's a good thing Coop has control of the car since Jungkook is driving this time and he laughs so bodily that he constantly lets go of the steering wheel.

It's a good drive home and the sun has just set.

 _And what has Master Taehyung been up to today at school?_ Coop asks.

Taehyung grips his hand tight and only realizes he hasn't let go of the unopened water bottle yet.

"Painting," he says.

_3 wisps of laughter._

When he walks in this time, he's humming—he already knows the way. Still, he takes a bit of time to gaze at the various fixtures this time and appreciates the ivory wooden paneling, the dim glow of the lights, the new painted movie posters framed on the wall (Taehyung still doesn't recognize any of them). There's a dark poster of a pregnant lady in a bathtub, a blindfolded woman embracing two blindfolded children, and a mismatched house not unlike a dollhouse.

Taehyung nods slowly in agreement.

The violet-suited man at the counter is still wearing the same suit although he's not reading this time but tapping away at his phone. On his desk is an important-looking nameplate simply with the name _Kim Seokjin_.

Seokjin looks up when Taehyung creeps in, this time and Taehyung gives him one cheerful wave. Seokjin studies him for a moment, seemingly understanding that he's not here to watch a movie and simply nods in acknowledgement and resumes texting.

The boy manning the diner is cleaning again, albeit the various mugs and glasses on the shelf behind him. He too, spots Taehyung and stares at him unblinkingly. He's wearing the same apron Jimin had worn before and with a name tag labelled _Lee Chan._

Taehyung gives him a small salute and patters to the snack bar.

"Large liquorice popcorn, please!" Taehyung trills at the counter gleefully and Jimin, with his back at him, flinches. Taehyung cackles.

Jimin's expression just falls short of murderous when he turns around and Taehyung waves at him.

"What are you doing here?" Jimin says gravely.

Taehyung digs for his wallet and waves it around.

"Popcorn!"

Jimin crosses his arms and stares, unimpressed.

"Really," Jimin replies flatly. "You came all the way here. For popcorn."

"Why not? You sell it."

"Of course we do." Jimin pulls out a large popcorn bucket from underneath the counter and sharply smacks it on the counter to right it before walking to the liquorice popcorn machine.

Taehyung beams and leans his elbows on the counter.

"Jiminie, are you free to chat?"

"I'm at work."

"I know," Taehyung chortles. "But you don't have any customers."

Naturally Jimin had given him a nasty look of disapproval and yet a few minutes later finds them both seated at one of the circular diner tables, Taehyung digging into his popcorn without a care for the world while Jimin is merely flicking bits and pieces of the glowing popcorn in front of him so that it's flying all over the place.

Chan, staring at them both with dead eyes, is scrutinizing the mess Jimin is making.

“What am I doing,” Jimin mumbles to himself, and to Taehyung he says,"If Seokjin-hyung fires me for this, it's all on you."

Taehyung momentarily pauses shoving handfuls of popcorn into his mouth.

"Seokjin?" he blurts out once he's swallowed. "Like...ticket counter Seokjin?"

Jimin looks a bit baffled and offended. "Seokjin-hyung owns this place. And yeah I guess, so."

Taehyung waves a hand flippantly. "He's not going to kill you for playing hooky just a few times."

"We actually get patrons, you know although they only come at night."

"Cool! Then you can spend time with me now."

"Tae."

Taehyung munches on delightedly. "Did you paint those movie posters?"

Jimin blinks at him in surprise. "Ah," he clears his throat, seemingly embarrassed. "I did."

Taehyung laughs. "I had an inkling it would be you. You're good at it. The professor praises you a lot." 

Jimin fidgets, flicking another glowing popcorn out the bucket as his cheeks stubbornly get warmer.

"Does she now."

"Well, you might be tired of it already."

Jimin snorts and concentrates on flicking away another kernel. He hasn't eaten a single one; half of the bucket is already on the floor, glowing ominously like green fireflies.

"Have you ever seen a rose bush too overgrown?" Jimin asks him suddenly, eyes low and voice muted.

Taehyung taps his nails on the table, humming.

"I'd say no. We grow our roses in these large pots."

Jimin huffs in amusement. "Right. Naturally, roses grow in bushes and if left overgrown it can become really large. From a distance, it's a magnificent thing—the stems going in a myriad of directions and when in bloom, all at once, it's a beautiful color, all those vibrant rose heads sitting on a large pile." 

Another flick. "But it's a disaster. You step closer and it's too much. Too many imperfect buds, many wilting before the others have yet to bloom. Thorny stems are growing everywhere and it's hard to prune."

Jimin sighs and rests his chin lazily against the back of his hand, elbow now propped on the table. "Thats me," he says. "Too much. Before we moved to our ancestral home here I had just about overstayed my welcome in that previous school, overstayed my family’s grace, something or other." Jimin laughs but it sounds terribly bitter. "I can't even be good for myself without being too much for others. I guess it's a family curse."

For a moment there's only silence—Jimin looking determinedly at the popcorn bucket, abashed, Taehyung openly staring at him, and Chan clicking his tongue ominously at the counter.

Taehyung doesn't know what it's like to be up there. He's never been a scholar and not even his excellent grades had made him better than Jimin. But in the long void of life isn't this so little?

Taehyung leans forward, smiling to himself.

"It's okay," he says. "I like roses."

When Jimin's eyebrows pinch this time, it's not to frown and that in itself is already a surprise. Instead, Jimin hugs the popcorn bucket in front of him like a lifeline and starts to laugh, harmless and free.

In the five years Taehyung has known him he's always wondered why other people always made Jimin laugh. It's only now he realizes it's likely because it’s so deeply satisfying to have caused it.

It's unnerving—the way his eyes disappear into crescents, his laugh bubbly and bright, his entire face lighting up, for once devoid of problems the world has yet to offer.

It's like looking at a mirror.

Quick as ever, Taehyung reaches out and snatches Jimin's popcorn bucket, the latter flinching and then being utterly bewildered when Taehyung sets his own down in front of him in exchange.

"I'm probably a lemon tree," Taehyung says casually, sifting through the glowing kernels and biting into one. It tastes radioactive. "Or at least, a mutated lemon."

Jimin coughs into his palm, smiling. "Why?"

"Sometimes lemon trees produce mutated lemons because of bud mites. They're _really_ tiny things that feed on the young buds so when it grows into a fruit, it looks lovecraftian," Taehyung laughs. "But normally, lemons are just lemons, boringly normal, serving their purpose without letting anyone else change what they're made for. I think I might be infested with bud mites, Jiminie. Or allergic to _all_ the lemons in the world."

Taehyung spreads his arms, head hung back and he leans on his chair, tipping it on its back legs. "I don't want to follow directions. I want to do the things I do because I want it." 

Taehyung looks back up at Jimin who raises an eyebrow. "Sorry, I feel like I shouldn't be telling a top student this."

Jimin snorts. “And having good grades—that’s a lemon too?”

“The worst.” Taehyung smiles, hands clutching tightly to the radioactive popcorn Jimin had laughed into.

“Don’t apologize for your feelings,” Jimin says. “I have my roses, don’t I?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Whiskey Street is based off of Bourbon Street in Florida  
> \- can you guess what the 6 hand-painted movie posters are? :D
> 
> [catch me on twitter!](http://twitter.com/crossbelladonna)


	3. you're only ever who you were

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taehyung snorts, ruffling his hair—it's all messy anyway so it's fruitless to make it better.  
> "I'm not a genius, though."  
> "No," Jimin smiles and reaches for the strands of Taehyung's hair that's falling over his forehead, "but you're good at everything else, Taehyung."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _"You're only ever who you were."_ ([x](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmcdLOjGVzw))

_A single eyelash._

"So?"

Taehyung narrows his eyes dubiously, head turning to his brother almost mechanically. Jungkook's driving again, the very rare occasion he does just because he "felt" like it.

"So..." Taehyung intones, tapping his fingers rhythmically on his thigh.

"How are your ingredients going?"

Oh. This roasting so early in the morning?

He might have said it out loud since Jungkook snickers.

"Tae, I honestly couldn't care less if you go through it or not I'm just asking."

"Well, it's going," Taehyung huffs and Jungkook makes an annoyed noise but doesn't push it regardless.

Taehyung watches as poplar trees pass them by, the branches waving almost menacingly as they weave across the perpetually gloomy sky.

He remembers what all this had been for—the petty fighting, wanting to be better, passing his class. Of course.

It had all been that.

"Jungkook-ah," Taehyung says, smacking his temple against the window with a soft _bonk_. "You like what you're doing now, right?"

He feels Jungkook's gaze on him and hears Coop's thoughtful hum.

"I think I do," Jungkook replies eventually. "It's hard but I enjoy it."

"Oh, that's a good mindset."

"What's up with you?"

"Nothing? Am I not allowed to ask about the welfare of my brother?"

"You? No."

Taehyung clicks his tongue in disapproval. "How rude. I was only asking." Taehyung smiles to himself, peering at his reflection on the side mirror. "I just think it's nice that you enjoy it."

Taehyung pictures it himself, enjoying what he does. Being a master in a field and having people learn from him perhaps, that would be nice. Respect is earned, their mother taught them, and Taehyung would do just that, cultivating himself so well until he becomes credible enough to be cited. Like Professor Kim.

How nice it would be, and in his mind's eye Jimin laughs in amusement at the absurd triviality of it all.

Now this. This is where the problem starts because Jimin laughs. When Jimin laughs, he can see it so clearly in his head that his eyes glaze over. The crescent eyes and the golden gaze and the silk hair, if he were honest enough, it's quite frightening. 

When his palms start to get clammy, he merely shrugs it off. 

"But actually, I might be coming down with something," Taehyung says, all harmlessly and wonders briefly if the radioactive popcorn might be a ruling factor.

At once, the car screeches shrilly when Jungkook slams on the brakes and starts driving off again in jerks at the next second, both Taehyung and Coop yell in complaint at being jostled abruptly.

"W-What in Hades is wrong with you?" Taehyung squeaks out once he can, perplexed and both hands holding on tightly to his headrest.

Jungkook inhales loudly and stares at him, eyes wide and incredulous. 

"You're _sick?_ "

He is, in fact, not ill and insists on this repeatedly and yet Jungkook is stubbornly holding on to Taehyung's bag with clenched fists as he walks Taehyung to his locker.

"This is so unnecessary," Taehyung laments.

"If you die," Jungkook hisses under his breath, "and I get the blame for it, I'll necromance you out of the grave myself and kill you again."

"Gee, I didn't know you're into that."

"Watch me."

"I'm not _sick_ , Jungkook—oh."

They round up to the hallway of Taehyung's locker and he stops abruptly, Jungkook bumping right into him with a splutter.

Jimin is sitting down on the floor with his back against his own locker, oblivious to the world and typing on his phone while humming to something he's obviously listening to with his earphones.

Once Taehyung and a spattering Jungkook walk in though, Jimin gets distracted, looking up momentarily to see who it is and when he does, he raises his eyebrows and oh, so slowly returns his gaze down to his phone, ultimately deciding it's Not His Business.

Jungkook frowns fleetingly—a conditioned response—and goes back to aggressively making sure Taehyung is not at all sick.

"I told you," Taehyung gripes as Jungkook opens his locker himself. "I'm not sick. You don't even go here."

Jungkook scowls at him. "You said you were coming down with something."

Taehyung smiles at him blankly, the cause of his ultimate demise sitting on the floor exactly right next to him.

"I'm fine," he says curtly.

Jungkook stares at him doubtfully before pointing to fingers at his eyes and then to Taehyung, almost like a warning.

"Don't get sick," he murmurs dubiously before sliding away and skipping hurriedly to get to his own locker all the way to the other side of the building.

"I can't joke around him anymore," Taehyung whispers to himself fretfully.

"Are you...alright?"

Taehyung nearly bangs his head against his own locker door in his haste to close it, forgetting to step back. He clears his throat and nonchalantly slips it closed, leaning against it on his side and crosses his arms as he stares down at Jimin who's looking back in bewilderment.

"No," Taehyung says confidently and backtracks. "No. I mean, no I'm not sick. I'm fine."

Jimin blinks and nods slowly. One of his earbuds is hanging off one ear.

"Your brother seems to think otherwise."

Taehyung waves a hand dismissively. "He misconstrues things, you know." He smiles widely. "Anyway, why are you sitting on the floor?"

Jimin scoffs and picks at the edges of his phone absentmindedly.

"Passing time. It's still early, you know."

Taehyung hadn't noticed. Although come to think of it, they hadn't spotted Jihoon earlier either.

"Is it?" Taehyung says and mimics him, removing his jacket and laying it on the floor for him to sit on. He scooches over with a considerate distance between them and rests both of his elbows on either knees, leaning his chin on his palms.

"What are you listening to?"

Jimin stares at him like he can't believe this turn of events, as with every other time when it's Taehyung. Unlike all the other times though, he doesn't seem annoyed and Taehyung's smile only brightens.

"J-Just this song I've been listening to recently..."

Taehyung inclines his head. "Oh? Would I know it?"

Jimin's forehead crinkles in thought.

"I mean, probably? It's a popular song."

He gestures for Taehyung to lean forward and Taehyung does so. He almost flinches in surprise when Jimin places his earbud into Taehyung's ear, already humming softly to himself as he starts up the song again.

Unsurprisingly, it's a song Taehyung has never heard before; all the recent trends only ever pass over his head. The song is melodic, almost like a serenade, a high tenor crooning about holding on to the object of his affections. The emotion only deepens as the song closes in on its denouement. 

Taehyung realizes they're so close when he hears Jimin's soft voice singing the lyrics in a whisper with his eyes closed.

" _Don't tremble, hold my hands instead,_ "

Under the sweet curve of his eyelids is a single eyelash and Taehyung's entire space in the universe somehow focuses on that little speck.

" _Let me love you,_ " Jimin breathes and Taehyung reaches out to gently pick the eyelash from Jimin's cheek with a pat of a finger.

Jimin's eyes open instantly in astonishment and Taehyung cradles the eyelash in his palm.

"Look!" he says, showing it off. "I got your wish."

"Oh, that," Jimin sounds a bit confused, blinking at the eyelash owlishly.

In Taehyung's ear, the song trickles out into dulcet piano keys as it ends.

"I like it," he tells Jimin. "I don't know it, though."

Jimin blinks. "Don't you? Ah, and I thought it's pretty new too."

Taehyung taps his chin thoughtfully. "I only have music sheets and vinyl records for music. You know Elvis Presley. Blue Hawaii."

Jimin snorts, but not unkindly. If anything he's bemused as he nods. "Of course I do," he says. "Somehow I always thought you're the kind of person who liked to keep in touch."

"I _think_ I'm pretty in touch, what about it."

"Tae, you think mobile phones are inconvenient."

Taehyung shrugs. "I just don't see how I'd need it."

"Sending dream messages takes so much time and it's troublesome!"

Taehyung beams, eyes shining. "Oh, yeah! I haven't sent you one yet."

Jimin bursts into laughter, shaking his head. "No, Tae!" he says in between.

Taehyung's heart drops all the way to the school dungeon and if he can help it, he just might leave it there. He watches Jimin's amused giggles, golden eyes alight with mirth. He drags the earbud back to him as he moves to laugh and Taehyung watches it track back to Jimin's lap.

Taehyung can't help but ask, "How's your potion going?"

Jimin's laughter fades and he eyes Taehyung inquisitively.

"Now that you mentioned it, I haven't gotten around much with it actually. There's a few more weeks to go, huh?" Jimin smiles. "What about you?"

You, Taehyung immediately thinks, the irony nearly making him chuckle. 

"I don't know, honestly," he says. "Mine is somewhat like a family heirloom."

"An heirloom, huh?" Jimin muses. "Isn't that nice?"

Taehyung grasps the eyelash tight in his palm and for the first time since he's started it all, he's not so sure anymore.

  
  


_2 imprints of a smile._

He's in a rush and he wishes he can go even faster as his feet slaps against the floor as he runs. This might be perhaps one of the biggest contenders as to why he just didn't have the aptitude for the physical classes. He hadn't even run very far, having just made it out the main doors to a honking Coop when he realizes, with a mighty drop in his stomach, that Jeonghan (his Potions partner again, he dreads it so) had asked him this morning to get them more valerian roots from the greenhouse for tomorrow.

Taehyung hears Jeonghan's voice in his head the moment his feet hit the pavement and he promptly turns right back around into the hallway, shouting back over his shoulder at his brother who's staring at his retreating figure with disbelief.

So, it's going swell.

The school greenhouse is located right behind the castle and is proportionally large compared to the main building. The glass roofing is curved with spiked filigree running at the top and at the center of the rather rectangular shaped glass arboretum stands a single glass turret.

From the outside it looks both silver and green, a few pinpricks of color only coming to attention should anyone look closely. Usually, the staff kept the greenhouse unlocked till after class for students who needed to check up on certain projects and Taehyung's hoping it would be the same as he breathlessly walks over to the glass door.

Open. He could kiss the school gardener's feet.

It's fairly silent inside, very humid, and Taehyung could hear water dripping now and again and some curious whistling from a few plants he doesn't know the name of, as he passes through the aisles. He had checked the directory when he got in and the valerian flowers are kept at the far end where the glass roof is thinner to let more moonlight in.

He's a man with one simple mission—take out a pot of valerian flowers, dig out the roots, clean it, go home.

It's a simple to-do so Taehyung presumes he'll be out of it fast but when he reaches the far end of the greenhouse the first thing he sees is Jimin sprawled half sitting on the floor, leaning against a rack of potted seedlings with many of the seedlings having spilled out on the ground with a few cracked pots. There's blood on the left corner of his lip and Taehyung's eyes bulge.

Jimin sees him rather quickly as Taehyung makes a very sudden stop at the sight. Jimin sees him and he instantly laughs derisively as though he couldn't care less.

"Oh, it's just you," someone says, and belatedly Taehyung realizes there's someone else, standing in front of Jimin with his hands on his hips.

Taehyung thinks he recognizes him although not from any one of the metaphysical classes. He's Chuhan, or something.

"You—" Taehyung starts saying to Chuhan, confused and also pretty horrified but stops to look at Jimin instead. "What—?"

Jimin scoffs and Taehyung raises an eyebrow bewilderedly.

"You're Jungkook's brother," this guy Chuhan says with a haughty tone of voice.

Taehyung stares at his face, at the sneer on his mouth, his perfectly gelled blond hair so flat against his head, and the lax state of his uniform with the hem untucked and the buttons popped on purpose meant he's probably just another student from a nouveau riche family. The fact that he's saying Jungkook's name that way though, probably meant Jungkook hates him.

Taehyung almost smiles on reflex, however he also didn't like to be punched so he ignores him completely and slowly trudges up to Jimin.

"Can I give you a hand?" Taehyung tells him with a grin, waving a hand in his face. "Or two hands?" he jokes.

"Two," Jimin grunts and takes both hands that Taehyung offers. The fact that he's not shying away from the teasing and the way he can't stand abruptly with a limp on one leg meant really badly.

When Taehyung peers down, his heart sinks when he sees a rip at Jimin's right knee, the skin scratched and lightly bleeding.

"Hey," Taehyung calls out to Chuhan hollowly, carefully keeping his face blank. Jimin raises his eyes to him with a warning. "Did you know he goes to both classes?"

Chuhan raises an eyebrow, bored. "Yeah, and?"

Taehyung looks back at Jimin who lets go of his hands and glares at the pots on the ground. His lip is no longer bleeding but it's also not pleasant to look at.

"He goes to both classes,” Taehyung says. “So he needs his legs to dance. You punched him too." 

Chuhan only shrugs easily.

"He was being all aggressive and framing me for breaking his moondew pot on purpose or whatever."

Jimin bursts abruptly with clenched fists.

"Because you _did!_ " he hisses, the most menacing Taehyung has ever seen him. Jimin's gold eyes are glowing with anger. "You dropped it on purpose when you found out it was _mine!_ "

Chuhan laughs in disbelief. He smacks a hand against his forehead.

"I already told you I didn't mean it!"

Taehyung snickers. "You told him with your fist then? Your hands got a mouth or?"

Chuhan returns the jibe with a nasty grin.

"Oh, goody two shoes? I know your brother hates the guy," he juts his chin out towards Jimin. "Don't try to act like you aren't annoyed with him too. You afraid to say it out loud?"

Taehyung beams delightedly. "Are you threatening me?"

It's only a second, and likely not noticeable to anyone else, but the grin on Chuhan's face falters and Taehyung's mood is instantly better.

"I don't know you," Taehyung says a matter-of-factly with a dull wave of his hand. "You clearly don't know my brother either if you think he'll randomly throw a punch."

"But since you asked so kindly about my feelings then I will tell you." Taehyung inclines his head, and pulls Jimin to his side, all friendly. Jimin is blessedly bemused, letting himself be pulled along as Taehyung continues cackling sarcastically.

"Annoyed?" Taehyung echoes, tapping a finger on his cheek thoughtfully. "I don't know about _annoyed_. Spiteful? Has a better ring to it."

Next to him, Jimin huffs.

Taehyung's eyes turn hooded. "But that's not your business. After all, _I don't know you._ " He smiles and points at the pots of moondew behind them with his thumb. "Ah, pushing a scholar into a bed of school projects though—isn't that viable for detention?"

The carefree facade on Chuhan's face is steadily slipping. His upper lip is trembling. It's quite amusing to watch.

"All our plants in Verbal Spells, _always_ kept failing!" he suddenly shouts accusingly at Jimin who remains undeterred. "He's definitely done something!"

Taehyung scratches at his ear, weary with this conversation already. Not only has he not gathered his valerian roots but this poor sap is onwardly picking a fight.

"Doesn't that mean you just suck?" Taehyung posits. "This conversation is so pitiful."

Chuhan's face contorts in disdain. "I'd thought you'd manage to understand—after all, you're not a scholar," he spits with a smirk on his face.

A very thin thread of patience snaps in Taehyung's brain and he can feel a nerve jumping in his temple when the irritation finally bleeds through and rushes through every pore of his skin.

 _Danger,_ the tiny goblin is back, _riling you up!_

Oh, this guy is smart, Taehyung finds himself appreciating anyway. He wants to mumble back something witty perhaps; he loves a good fight after all. But his face remains empty, thoughts running blissfully vacant so that he doesn't notice the veins in his neck slowly glowing green. 

Chuhan actually looks startled, and it's not until the surviving pots behind them start vibrating ominously that Jimin immediately starts shaking Taehyung out of his stupor.

"Not here, Tae!" Jimin hisses hurriedly under his breath.

When Taehyung snaps away from his reverie, Chuhan is inching back, snickering to himself albeit obviously jarred.

"Got you, huh?" Chuhan stammers out, slowly walking backward towards the main aisle. "Pathetic," he says finally, before immediately sprinting for the door.

Taehyung waits until the sound of his hurried footsteps have fully disappeared when he releases a long breath.

"He sure runs fast for someone who obviously likes picking a fight," he grumbles. He turns and flashes Jimin with a grin. "We better get those fixed, huh?" he gestures to the messy rack of seedlings.

Jimin actually deflates. "You mean _I_ better get them fixed."

"Oh? Not to brag but I also know how to fix pots."

Jimin rolls his eyes. "Why are you here, Tae?"

Taehyung jolts. "Right! Valerian roots—I'll be right back."

He scurries off to find the rack of sweet-smelling clusters of pink flowers. He clicks his tongue when he finds he has to go further in, the greenhouse is like a maze, he thinks. Taehyung figures he could easily get lost with the constantly changing arrangement of the racks.

When he manages to find what he's looking for, he hurries over to grab a small pot and carefully snips out the amount of roots he only needs, putting them into one of the small paper bags they use to temporarily house seedlings.

Taehyung returns to find Jimin standing in front of the rack of moondew seedlings, one hand raised and open upwards. He's chanting something under his breath as yellow light bleeds from his fingertips. Taehyung watches the broken bits of clay slowly lifting off the ground and finding the rest of its pieces to cling to once more.

Like watching a movie reel in reverse, soil littered on the floor drags itself back into the pot, the poor seedlings making their way back to the snug confines of the soil.

" _Spring will come again, people say._ _/ Yet I am heartsick._ " Jimin whispers, " _Nothing will happen when spring comes; / That child will not come again._ "

The pots are back on the rack, moondew seedlings seemingly untouched. All is well.

But Jimin’s knee is still scratched and when Jimin turns to look at him, the corner of his lip is still busted. Taehyung would reach out if he could.

He smiles crookedly instead, cocking his hip in amusement.

“Didn’t wait,” Taehyung comments. Jimin doesn’t reply so he continues, “Is your chauffeur waiting for you?”

He shakes his head slightly. “No. I told him I’ll be taking long. I’m going home on my own.”

Taehyung smiles and this time, he braves the short distance.

“Great,” he says, “come with me.”

Their infirmary is not a large one, one of the smaller rooms on the ground floor even, although the windows are large and overlook the swamp. There are only three beds, two on the right and just one right across it and as the sun is setting, the whole room is cast with a muted orange glow.

Taehyung has a hold on Jimin’s arm as they slowly amble inside, Taehyung whistling merrily as Jimin scowls. The scowl continues even when they make it to the tiny nurse’s station right in the receiving area of the infirmary. It’s barely even a proper station, just a desk and a few shelves full of both medicine and various potions behind it.

Nevertheless, the nurse has a gentle smile.

“Hey, I’m Joshua,” he says immediately. “What can I do for you? It’s a bit late, isn’t it?”

Taehyung nods solemnly. 

"Oh, definitely," he gestures to Jimin who doesn't say anything once again. "My friend over here got in a little accident with his lip over here," Jimin's glare becomes more baleful. His ears are red though so he's probably just embarrassed. "And his knee looks terrible—he's a scholar, you know?"

Joshua peers over the table to look at Jimin's pants, ripped at the knee and softly clicks his tongue sympathetically.

"I see that," Joshua smiles and to Jimin he says, "That'll be hard to dance with. I have a salve for that, let me find it."

Joshua turns to his shelves and starts sifting through the numerous bottles with various clinking noises.

"I didn't have to come," Jimin hisses under his breath. 

Taehyung shrugs. "Okay, sure but let's put it this way," he pats Jimin's shoulder with a grin. "If you don't do well on your dancing because of your injury how bad do you think Jungkook's glare will be?"

"You keep saying your brother is harmless and you're telling me this."

"Here we are," Joshua says, procuring a small bottle of something blue. "You can go ahead and wait inside while I get some gauze."

It's fun to tease Jimin, Taehyung has learned over the past few weeks and it's so easy to pull something up when he's all rigid sitting on the edge of the bed, one pant leg rolled up while Joshua tends to his knee (the gauze is practically placebo and mostly for Jimin's comfort; he only uses the blue salve and whispers under his breath for the scratches to patch up on their own.) Joshua is just as quick with Jimin’s lip, precise hands swishing about and it’s over before they can blink twice.

Taehyung sits on the edge of the bed opposite Jimin, swinging his feet as he's bathed in the light of the sunset.

Once Joshua leaves, Taehyung immediately patters over to peek at the gauze covering his knee.

"Can I see? What did he do? Is it nasty?" Taehyung cackles.

Jimin rolls his eyes and strips the gauze in one go to reveal fairly smooth skin underneath, no scratches in sight.

"There's nothing," he says flatly.

Taehyung squats down on the floor in front of him, disappointed.

"Tae," Jimin says softly and he looks up. Jimin fiddles with his fingers almost hesitantly. "Isn't your brother looking for you already?"

Taehyung blinks, eyes wide.

"Oh no. I asked him to go on ahead. Though I'm pretty sure Coop will be waiting for me once I get out."

Jimin stares at him for a moment, confused. "...Coop?"

Taehyung bursts into laughter. "Ah! Coop is our car! He's really intelligent you see, so we named him. It's actually pretty funny because his name is a pun and it seemed like a genius idea, we were twelve and—" Taehyung rambles on, gesticulating with his hands as Jimin continues watching him carefully.

Taehyung smiles his boxy smile. "Don't you have work today?"

Jimin chuckles. "If I did I wouldn't have stayed out late."

In the distance he can hear the _bong_ of the school bells, Joshua's melancholic humming, Jimin's nails tapping anxiously against each other.

"Taehyung," Jimin's voice is so soft, like they're in a small, easily breakable bubble.

Taehyung's eyes dart right at him instantly but Jimin is looking down at his fingers.

"Were you—" Jimin's eyebrows pinch as he pauses. "Were you really annoyed with me?"

It's so easy to lie, Taehyung thinks. At the tip of his tongue, it would be no sweat to tell him no, he's never felt annoyed in his life and everything will go on as usual, pretty much how it would have been had he continued not knowing who Jimin was.

Even now, he still didn't know Jimin much. Not his family or where he came from or who his friends are. But he knows a few things—he's an overgrown rose bush, his gold eyes are little crescents when he smiles, he's skeptical with the world, and he's so insanely smart.

Lemons are so tart in Taehyung's mouth.

"I guess so," Taehyung says and Jimin glances at him with a surprised flinch. "Anybody would feel annoyed being one off all the time. Not as bad as Jungkook, though."

Jimin makes a face and Taehyung smiles.

"You can't help how you feel about people," Taehyung tells him quietly. "Emotions are largely involuntary but you can choose if you want to be annoyed forever and I just chose not to."

He splays his hands out in a shrug. “You’re great, I’m great and I don’t have to catch up to anything.”

Jimin's eyes are wide and shiny, his jaw dropped in astonishment. Taehyung wonders if Jimin had expected a lie after all and he's glad he didn't.

What he doesn't expect, however, is Jimin bowing his head sincerely and apologizing.

"I'm sorry," and the words had just left Jimin's mouth when Taehyung splutters.

" _Why_ are you apologizing for being a good student?" he nags, wagging a finger. “I thought you were all ‘don’t apologize for your feelings’ weren’t you?”

Jimin’s expression shifts into disgruntlement and he sits up straighter in protest.

“So what? I just wanted to say it!”

Taehyung shakes his head and clicks his tongue, arms crossed but now he’s teasing.

“This is why you’ve got plenty of archnemeses.”

“I-I’ve got what?”

Taehyung moves to stand, groaning as he stretches his arms upward. Jimin looks at him in confusion. The countless times Jimin had looked at him angrily before, Taehyung ponders, now he’s doing the same with a different emotion altogether.

Taehyung rocks back on his heels and claps his hands once.

“Want to go to an arcade?” he beams.

“Coop, this is Jimin,” Taehyung says, speaking directly to the dashboard, gesturing to Jimin with a very pleased expression. “Jimin, this is Coop.”

 _Good evening, Master Jimin_ , Coop replies politely, the entire frame of the car vibrating.

Jimin eyes the rearview mirror doubtfully, likely regretting ever getting into the car in the first place.

"Good evening..."

_Where are we headed this evening?_

Coop is being so mysteriously polite.

Taehyung taps the steering wheel rhythmically in excitement.

"Whiskey Street!" he exclaims gleefully.

"Tae..." Jimin starts.

"The arcade!"

"I really think we shouldn't—"

"No school tomorrow!"

 _I'll have you driven to Whiskey Street as soon as possible,_ Coop says considerately.

Taehyung finally stops tapping his fingers and peeks into the air conditioning vent with eyes bulging.

"Why are you being kind today?" he whispers. "Did you finally kill Jungkook?"

Beside him, Jimin groans.

There’s only a single arcade in Whiskey Street and as night is falling, there’s a lot more people than Taehyung is used to. Regardless, he had always ever come here with Jungkook the very few times they visited Whiskey Street so coming here now with a new person altogether is even more thrilling.

He leads Jimin inside by the shoulders, Jimin dragging his feet deliberately so they’ll take more time but Taehyung, ever so patient, lets nothing deter him.

It’s quite dark inside, and particularly noisy as people of all ages clamor for the various games that line against the walls and the aisle. Neon lights of green and violet shoot out around the roof, flashing now and again and it makes Taehyung giggle. It’s an old building but even as the wooden floorboards creak, all the beeping and shouting, all the swirling lights make you forget time still runs outside.

It gets cramped as they go on forward to the counter to buy tokens and Jimin is prompted to grasp Taehyung’s arm when he gets shoved when someone walks by.

“This place is so old,” Jimin hisses right against his ear, pulling Taehyung down to his level. “The games are outdated.”

Taehyung grins and thrusts ten tokens into Jimin’s palm and closes his fingers around them.

“Anyone’s got time for Street Fighter,” Taehyung says and places an arm around Jimin’s shoulders despite the latter’s protest as Taehyung drags him towards the game machines. “Then we can pretend to be punching the lights out of Chuhan, how about that?”

This catches Jimin off guard and he chokes on his laughter, finally loosening up so that when they start playing, Taehyung can barely focus on anything else but Jimin’s enthusiasm. He’d pretended to be disinterested just minutes ago and yet with just a little prodding, Taehyung’s got him giggling at his snide comments about _kicking Chuhan on his pixelated face._

This is what being alive feels like, Taehyung thinks, and he’s found it underneath the flashing neon lights.

Jimin is the one who pulls them both towards the next machine, a shooting game that makes his eyes glow intensely with delighted determination as he grips the gun with accuracy. They flit around to the next, and the next, and the next and Taehyung wins Jimin a small plush cephalopod at a pinball game that has Jimin reeling to his side in laughter.

Time stands still in this arcade and Taehyung can stay here forever.

"Oh, what's this?" Taehyung halts and Jimin stops abruptly as well. 

Taehyung stares at the large vertical black box with a curtain covering the front, a small screen on its side and a receiving slot underneath it.

"Ah, it looks like a photo booth." Jimin explains.

Taehyung's eyebrows meet. "A what booth."

Jimin eyes him quizzically. "You know...for taking photos. You...you know what photos are right?"

Taehyung laughs. "Of course I do! But photo booths are usually a whole entire room!"

Jimin snorts. "But this is an _arcade_ photo booth. The ones you know are the professional, fancy ones." His face shifts into suspiciousness again. "I thought you said you came here with Jungkook?"

"Oh, we do!" Taehyung lifts the curtain to peek inside and it's empty and so odd—there's only a bench, a large screen in front of the seat and a camera right above it. "But he usually comes to play the shooting games and destroys every single player and everyone gets pissed and we get sent home."

"I'm not going to comment on that," Jimin whispers under his breath.

"Let's do it!" Taehyung grins and not even waiting for Jimin's reply, he's hauling him inside the booth, Jimin squawking indignantly as they take a seat.

It's pretty cramped but Taehyung takes it in stride, immediately fiddling with the screen.

"This is weird," Jimin says.

Taehyung lopes an arm around his and pulls him close as the camera clicks to start.

"Life is weird, Jimin-ah."

"Ah—right here would be fine, thanks."

Taehyung peers skeptically up the dark and winding road leading uphill. The path is pitch black under the foliage of the forest around it and the car beams are the only thing giving off some light. The moon, up above the gloomy clouds, has closed its eyes.

Taehyung hums under his breath, tapping his chin as Jimin unbuckles his seatbelt.

"You're really positive there's a house up there?" Taehyung points dubiously, his finger squeaking against the glass.

Jimin laughs. "Yeah. I'm sure. I've lived here for a while you know."

 _I will keep the lights on, Master Jimin,_ Coop tells him.

"Oh," Jimin says, smiling. He’s finally warmed up to Coop the few hours they were together. He pats the dashboard and pushes the door open. "Thank you, Coop. And thank you for taking me home."

Taehyung lowers his window and waits until Jimin has traversed around the car.

"What about snakes?" Taehyung wants to know, leaning his chin on the open window.

Jimin walks backwards toward the path in thought and shakes his head.

"Probably lizards, though."

“Oh, nice."

Jimin huffs a laugh and waves a hand before turning around.

“Good night, Taehyung.”

Taehyung grins. “Bye bye.”

They wait until Jimin’s figure disappears into the darkness fully, Taehyung still doubtful about an estate presumably up there but nevertheless, he’s still smiling as he pulls up the window again.

 _What a nice boy,_ Coop comments as though he’s never heard Jungkook complain about Jimin in the car. 

Taehyung takes the photo strip he and Jimin took in the arcade out of his suit jacket and stares at the three photos right on top of the other. Stares and stares at the way he catches himself staring at Jimin and Jimin staring right back.

Coop starts the car and Taehyung stows it away, close to his heart.

_A ration of emotional tears._

Taehyung doesn't do it on purpose and most of the time it happens it's just that: unintentional. It was a bit of a lie before when he mentioned needing a voice for a dream message but all he actually needs is a very strong, vivid memory.

And the sound of Jimin's laughter is still so vivid it's almost tactile.

He dreams of a soft and cozy yellow, hundreds upon hundreds of lemons at his feet that he kicks several away to walk properly. It’s a nothingness of yellow and the vastness of lemons as far as the eye can see and out there, far beyond where he is, someone is sitting on the ground with his back at him, wearing pinstripe pajamas and the back of his golden hair all fuzzy from sleep.

"Lemons, huh?" Taehyung kids and without turning, the boy with the golden hair laughs at his remark.

 _Wise men say,_ Elvis Presley croons in his ear and in between the spaces of the lemons by his feet, rosebuds start pushing their way up to the surface, _only fools rush in._

The world blooms in deep reds and cozy yellows.

"You like this song," the boy says.

_Would it be a sin?_

_If I can't help—_

"I do," and Taehyung wakes up.

It's three am and he's drowning in the depths of his pillows. He opens his eyes to complete darkness and he's immediately disoriented until he remembers he had buried himself in his pillows before sleeping so he claws his way out.

He's breathing hard once he's finished, feeling feverish though his satin pajamas are thin and his balcony doors are open with the cool air fluttering the curtains eerily. It's dark with no moon up above and Taehyung feels his way next to his bed until the lamp on his bedside glows dimly.

He sits up and crosses the room to rummage into one of his old chests, the light just bright enough so he can peruse the old vinyl records in his collection, most of which had been passed on to him by his father. He probably digs for a whole hour until he finds the one he's looking for—an old thing, with the cover browned through the ages. On it is a picture of the very familiar coif that has Taehyung smacking his forehead in both relief and hilarity.

It's four am, he’s in love.

He's in a sickeningly good mood a few hours later, humming cheerfully as he treads downstairs to the foyer (despite the overwhelming lack of sleep) and he sees Jungkook seated on the floor and facing a hovering image of their mother that's right on top of the living room table, looking like an old school hologram.

It's from the crystal she gave them months before and they use it to communicate this way amidst the constant distance. Jungkook uses his far too often so the crystal is now a tiny stump more than anything, always the baby in the family regardless of what he says. Taehyung has probably used his a grand total of five times because one, he usually just peeks behind Jungkook in between his calls and two, well...he's just lazy.

Their mother is talking animatedly in response to whatever Jungkook had said, their father walking by behind her with a laugh. Jungkook chuckles too and Taehyung feels for him somewhat. Nonetheless, their parents are apparently due to arrive soon any day now so they can finally do something about Jungkook's rages when he gets bored.

Glad he's actually wearing a good outfit for once, Taehyung strides in confidently and pops in right behind Jungkook's shoulder with a grin.

"Hi!" Taehyung beams and Jungkook snorts.

Whatever is in their mother's hands rattle as she gasps dramatically as though they haven't seen each other since Jungkook's call two days ago. Taehyung watches her continue with the lighthearted theatrics as she pulls their father to see.

"Look, Junghwan, our son is alive," she says.

Their father laughs and Taehyung waves a hand at them flippantly.

"Doubtful. How would you know I'm not a ghost?" he says.

"Oh, we would know immediately my dear."

Another chortle from their father and he shakes his head.

"Jungkook was telling us they've started planning for the end of the school year preparations."

Taehyung looks at Jungkook briefly and he looks back sheepishly in return. Taehyung's not surprised; the physical classes always loved organizing the dance. 

"Cool because we've done absolutely nothing," Taehyung cackles.

"Your project's going okay? Your Grandma was being giggly about it."

 _This_ time Jungkook cackles.

Right. _Right_. Of course he remembers The Project. The project for Potions. The potion given by their Grandma for Potions. The Jimin potion.

He has about a month left.

He's likely taking up a long time to answer or he's making a weird expression because their father raises both his eyebrows quizzically. Their mother meanwhile, tilts her head at him in scrutiny and links tiny puzzle pieces together.

"Are you off to somewhere?" She wants to know and instantly two other pairs of eyes flashes to Taehyung's clothes.

It's not as if it's any different from what he often wears—it's just olive slacks and a loose gray sweater. Then again at home, he only ever wears pajamas.

Taehyung cocks his hip and puts his hand on it with a smug scoff.

"I got a new friend," he says, and not waiting for their shocked response, continues, "and Jungkook wants Jihoon's brother to be his boyfriend."

Jungkook promptly chokes on his spit and wheezes.

" _What?_ "

Their mother raises her eyebrows while their father nods slowly.

"A Min, huh," their father appraises.

"WHAT," Jungkook lunges for the table. To Taehyung he shrieks with his face coloring, “ _Why_ are you bringing this up?”

Taehyung opens his hands and shrugs.

“Is it not the truth?”

“YES. BUT—”

“Well then.”

“No, no, I get it though,” their mother adds with narrowed eyes of scrutiny.

“ _What is happening,_ ” Jungkook hisses into his palms.

"I know their father," their mother continues gamely. "Extremely good at whatever field they're passionate about, the lot of them."

Their father rubs his chin as though he's got a beard.

"I think I recall. Isn't his eldest a Timekeeper?" A pause and everyone looks at Jungkook who's wailing. "Is that him?"

Taehyung's smile is nasty.

"Lots to talk about, huh?" Their mother jokes.

" _Mom!_ "

Their parents laugh for a bit, although lovingly and when they fade out the attention is back on the happenstance of Taehyung's outfit.

"So where are you really going? For real this time." Their mother grins.

"Oh, right," Taehyung says and walks forward to pat Jungkook on the back. "We're going to watch a movie."

Jungkook straightens up immediately, cheeks still blotchy but now he looks suspicious.

"We are?"

"We are. A horror one."

"No we're not."

"And we're taking Coop since the magpies like to peck on Joowon."

"A horror movie!" Their father exclaims and turns to his wife, "Taeha, we should watch one!"

"I don't like horror movies," Jungkook says in a tiny voice under his breath.

"We'll watch the least terrible one," Taehyung says.

"Go have fun then," their mother says. "I heard Whiskey Street is lively these days. We'll go by together when we get back and Taehyung?" Taehyung blinks his eyes innocently. "We'll talk about your friend then, hmm?"

It’s a nice day out; Taehyung tilts his head and smiles.

Jungkook starts to actually look excited as they’re stepping into the movie theatre so that’s both a relief and surprise.

“Doesn’t Uncle Jaehwan’s house look like this?” he says, feeling the walls meticulously and touching whatever sconce he can reach.

“I had forgotten he actually existed until you mentioned him again so I don’t know what you mean,” Taehyung replies dryly.

“It _feels_ like it,” Jungkook insists, knocking on the ivory paneling. “Old and woody.”

“ _Our_ house is old and woody.”

“I know? Oh!”

Jungkook stops and stares agape at the hand-painted movie posters on the walls in their glass frames and Taehyung stares along with him. They’re new again and once more, all the names simply go over Taehyung’s head. He sees one splashed completely black, with only two red balloons painted on it. Another is more intricate, a silhouette of a mangy cat with golden eyes, its shaggy fur curling and twisting at the edges drifting downwards to what looks like a cemetery. At the far end there’s two hands, one gloved in leather, both gripping large gold scissors tightly.

He watches in amusement as Jungkook titters up close, eyeing the posters in awe.

“These are painted?” he mumbles under his breath in amazement.

“Yeah,” Taehyung says, grinning smugly. A smile that’s instantly wiped out as he straightens up when he hears footsteps coming close.

Jungkook doesn’t hear them, still engrossed with putting his face as close to the glass frames as possible and whispering delighted words about the brush strokes or the palette. Taehyung’s not sure since he’s smiling again.

“These are incredible,” Jungkook declares once he’s satisfied with his investigation. “They already look better than the actual movie. I bet they feel nice.”

“Thank you,” a laugh, “but don’t touch the paintings, please.”

Jungkook squawks and blasts away from the painting as though electrocuted, Taehyung laughing loudly when his brother gasps, scandalized when he sees who their new companion is.

Jimin only smiles, arms full of papers.

"Glad you like them though—I worked hard on that," he grins.

Jungkook looks a bit purple in the face and Taehyung steps forward to lope an arm around his shoulders before he can start turning back around. Jungkook makes a choking noise.

"Terrific," he says. "We want to watch a movie."

Jimin glances towards him and Taehyung remembers the lemons on the floor, the rosebuds blooming, Elvis Presley singing right to his ear. Warmth is bubbling out of the pores of his skin, searing his heart completely.

"That's new," Jimin sounds surprised, hiking up the papers in his arms. "Alright then; I was headed for Seokjin-hyung anyway I just thought I heard you."

Once Jimin turns around, Jungkook pounces on Taehyung immediately.

" _That's_ why you suddenly want to watch a movie!" Jungkook hisses into his ear, easily escaping Taehyung's hold to shake him bodily by the shoulders.

"I did tell you he has a part-time job," Taehyung says, matter-of-factly, his voice wavering as Jungkook continues shaking him in despair.

"Then why did you bring _me?_ "

"You really think I want to watch a horror movie alone?" Taehyung shakes his head in disbelief.

"The guy hates me, Taehyung. I won't leave that theatre alive."

The words filter into Taehyung's brain like goo. Once it sets in, he grabs Jungkook's hands (still pushing and pulling) to a stop, confused.

"I'm sorry; can you say that again?" He makes a rolling motion once his hands are free.

"Jimin hates me!" Jungkook wheezes, now annoyed.

Taehyung scowls and points at Jungkook.

"I thought _you_ hate him?"

"Yeah? He definitely hates me though. Why else would he keep trying to get under my skin?”

The few months seem to rush past Taehyung's head like a furious slideshow and although Jimin has frequently mentioned Jungkook's temperament, he's never mentioned returning the same sentiment at all.

 _I'm too much_ , Jimin had said, _like a rosebush._

"You know," Taehyung starts, twiddling his thumbs. "I think there might be some...disconnect...with these words you're saying."

"Do you want to argue about semantics now?"

"Hello?"

Jungkook jumps. Jimin is peering at them from the end of the hallway with wide eyes.

"Yes, movie!" Taehyung calls out brightly, waving his hands with a grin.

Jimin raises his eyebrows and with a shrug, disappears again.

"Look," Jungkook says again. "I know he's like your weird friend or something but—"

Taehyung puts an arm around Jungkook's shoulders again and calmly leads him forward.

"Jungkook," he says with a chuckle. "We're really lacking in the friends department, huh? What ever happened? I think we really might be twins after all."

"We _are_ twins, what in Tartarus—"

"Oh, right."

Jimin is talking to Seokjin when they finally make it up to the counter, Jungkook still fidgeting while Taehyung holds him by the shoulder, smiling serenely.

"Ah," Jimin says once he sees them. To Seokjin he says, "They want to watch a movie, hyung."

Seokjin's beautiful face lights up when he sees them and like the previous times Taehyung has seen him, he's looking effortless wearing a pale violet suit and his dark hair looks enviably soft. Taehyung has never seen anyone quite like him before; Jungkook even stops fidgeting.

"Daytime patrons! What a delight!" Seokjin says, standing up abruptly although the counter is full of towering papers, some of them drifting to the ground. "We don't get a lot of daytime patrons. It's so confusing—you're not really sure if they're dead or alive."

"That's interesting," Taehyung tells him sincerely. "We should talk about it sometime."

Seokjin's eyes sparkle. "Oh, definitely! Sometimes they—"

Jimin clears his throat.

Seokjin blinks. "Oh, right," he grins, clasping his hands together and sitting down. "Are you Jimin's classmates? I've seen you here a few times."

"Ah—" Jimin starts nervously at the same time Taehyung proudly goes, "Jimin's my friend!"

There's a short pause as everyone's eyes dart to one another.

"And this is my brother, Jungkook," Taehyung pats Jungkook's chest, the latter refusing to lift his eyes from the crack on the floor.

"I love twins," Seokjin croons, lost in his thoughts again. "I was supposed to be a twin, but I absorbed them in the womb."

"Oh! Oh!" Taehyung perks up. "Our mother said I almost ate Jungkook in the womb."

"What?" Jungkook jerks out of his stupor, disturbed.

Taehyung shrugs. "She told me so."

Seokjin laughs squeakily. "Survival of the fittest, even in the womb," he says and starts busying himself with the register. "What shall you be watching today?"

Taehyung narrows his eyes in thought.

"I was actually hoping you'd recommend one. I'm not familiar with the new ones."

Seokjin certainly _looks_ like he's been waiting for this to happen with the way his eyes start shining again and Jimin sighing resignedly.

"You've asked the right person!" Seokjin beams. "I'll choose the best one! Meanwhile, why don't you wait at the diner while I get the theatre prepared? Anything you want on me, of course since you're Jimin's friend." His smile, albeit sweet, is also menacing with how sweet it is. "You should go with them, Jiminie. You're on your break aren't you?"

Jimin jolts in surprise, gold eyes landing on Taehyung and once more Taehyung recalls the scent of lemons, the roses, the amused laughter, and Jimin shrugs.

"Yeah."

"I'm not letting you in my room again," Jungkook whispers to Taehyung as they walk the short distance to the diner.

"It's not like I can eat you _now,_ muscle pig!" Taehyung counters indignantly.

"You can if you try hard enough," Jimin pipes up dismissively waving his hand away.

Jungkook and Taehyung share a look. Taehyung gives his brother a slash-throat motion and Jungkook scowls.

"You really won him over," Jimin says in amusement once they're seated.

Taehyung leans forward onto the table, curious. The seat next to him is empty except for Jungkook's coat, his brother having gone up to the counter to get the promised food and both of them can hear Chan punching through the register.

"Your boss isn't hard to talk to, though," Taehyung says.

Jimin raises an eyebrow, studying Taehyung up and down.

"He hardly ever looks at a customer for a second. Did you look into his eyes for too long or something?"

Taehyung instinctively blinks. "What?"

"He can bring people to their knees if they stare into his eyes for too long," Jimin laughs and rolls his eyes at a memory. "Keeps saying he's not a siren but..."

Interesting. How interesting. Taehyung wonders if Jimin is a siren too.

"Also," Jimin says, the signature pinch of his eyebrows crossing his forehead. "I had a really weird dream last night."

Taehyung's eyes darts around his face, a smile pulling at his mouth.

"Did you?"

He hears Jungkook's shoes gliding towards their table and not a moment later three large cups of something nearly spills onto them as he not so gently sets the tray with what looks like green onion rings on the table.

"What's this?" Taehyung points at a cup nearest to him. He peers inside and sees pink.

"Rose lemonade apparently," Jungkook grunts as he sits.

Ah. Jimin coughs into his fist discreetly. Taehyung steeples his hands together and smiles.

"Cool," he says and Jungkook looks at him oddly before shoving an onion ring into his mouth.

It's a strange few seconds of silence. Jimin is staring into the depths of his drink as though contemplating drowning himself in it. Jungkook is pretending everything is fine as long as he continues eating. Taehyung's glad he has never had an awkward bone in his body.

"I have a question," Taehyung grins after a long minute of silence.

Jimin instantly looks hesitant when Jungkook chokes on an onion ring.

"Tae," Jungkook hazards.

"I mean, it's simple," Taehyung shrugs. "Do you not talk properly when you dance?"

They both stare at him in surprise.

"I don't go to your performing arts classes a lot. Last time you were robotic," Taehyung's smile is sly.

Jimin frowns at his drink and Jungkook stares at the crumbs on the table.

Taehyung looks at them back and forth.

"Do you just...read each other's minds?" Jungkook gives him an unimpressed stare and Taehyung shrugs again. "Listen to the music and you both just magically agree how to dance to it? Because you're making it seem like—"

"We talk," Jimin interjects, frustrated.

Taehyung looks at Jungkook for a reply.

"Yeah," Jungkook grumbles.

Taehyung smiles and rests his chin on his laced fingers. "Oh good. Though I should've said talking without fighting but, you know."

“We do talk,” Jimin says quietly. “We just don’t get along.”

Jungkook crushes an onion ring with his thumb.

“We just hate each other that’s all.”

Now Jimin looks at him, frowning and bewildered.

“I don’t hate you? That’s all you!”

Oh boy. Taehyung sits back and slurps on his rosy lemonade.

“ _What?_ ” Jungkook shrieks and smacks a hand on the table in disbelief. “Why are you so difficult to work with, then?”

“You never even listen to what I have to say!”

“Then why do you have all the professors at the palm of your hands?”

“That’s not my fault?!”

“And you always sit up front!”

“I’m nearsighted! Why’s this even an argument?”

 _Oh_. Inwardly, the epiphany dawns on Taehyung like a bullet. He doesn’t want Jimin to yell at him though so he purses his lips and looks away sneakily.

Jungkook looks terribly confused, head tilted and expression skewed. Taehyung can almost see a physical question mark appearing over his head. He knows this feeling exactly—he’s felt this about Jimin once. Even now when he looks at Jimin, also looking confused as to why they’re fighting about this in the first place, there’s still much to know.

There’s no need to know everything though, he knows that now.

A gruff cough catches their attention and they distractedly glance next to their table and finds Chan standing there with a tray of multicolored nachos.

“I’m told it’s on the house,” he deadpans and slides the tray onto the table. Taehyung notices his name tag, the very curt _Lee Chan,_ is upside down. “Keep your voice down though, thanks.”

Once he saunters away, for whatever reason, Taehyung finds the remark absolutely hilarious. He supposes they _have_ been noisy; the entire building is practically quiet save for the old creaking and the static of the lights flickering. The moment Chan is back at the register, Taehyung has to keep his giggles down behind his hands.

Jimin stares at him exasperatedly.

“Tae…” he mumbles although he can’t help but laugh along at the sound of Taehyung’s ridiculous laughter.

Jungkook’s gaze follows Chan and when he turns back to Taehyung and Jimin he looks a bit shaken.

“How old is that guy?” he mutters hollowly. “He’s so strange.”

Now Jimin has his face into his hands too, snorting.

“Holy Hades, what’s happening…?” he laughs helplessly.

That’s how Seokjin catches them not a moment later, Jungkook still muttering his confusion over Jimin’s apparent non-hatred and Chan’s mysterious age, Taehyung still dying of laughter behind his hands and Jimin wiping his tears of hysterics with the table napkins.

"Oh, gosh, what did I miss?" Seokjin inquires cheerily.

Taehyung lifts his head, grinning.

"Just something or other."

Jimin is still chuckling and when Jungkook, still bothered by the mystery, stands up and asks Seokjin the same question, Jimin starts laughing again.

Seokjin raises his eyebrows.

"Are you playing Guess Channie's age?" He asks loudly as though Chan can't hear him from the register. He definitely looks delighted, though. "We play it a lot during breaktime and nobody has ever gotten it right yet."

"Sixteen!" Taehyung guesses at once, raising a hand.

" _Ddaeng!_ " Seokjin shakes his head.

"What?" Jungkook exclaims incredulously, sitting back down again. "He obviously can't be older than fifteen, look at him!"

" _Ddaeng!_ "

" _What?_ "

"It's futile," Seokjin tells them with a nod. "You'll never guess it."

Jimin's laughter eases. "Believe me; we've tried everything." He wipes at his tears and sets the napkin on the table.

There's already a handful of crumpled napkins on the table from his tears and it's probably the twin telepathy because Jungkook and Taehyung look at each other at the same time.

_What's 7 again?_

_Jungkook..._

_I don't know about you but hysterical laughter is definitely an emotion._

_...alright._

And then having the stealth equivalent to a squirrel, Jungkook's hand darts out to grab one of Jimin's tissues when he's busy conversing with Seokjin and haphazardly shoves it into Taehyung's side, making him jump.

"Anyway," Seokjin continues, motioning to Jungkook. "You can try guessing again next time. We'll know it eventually!"

Jungkook leans close and lowers his voice this time. "Isn't it bad for someone that young to have a job, though?"

"Oh, don't worry! He came with this building when I bought it a decade back!" Seokjin says cheerily and waves two movie tickets. "Now, are you ready for your movie?"

Taehyung hadn't checked the ticket and had probably blacked out for a second in surprise when he sees the enormous movie theatre with the sloping red velvet seats, the grand stage in front of them with a wide screen, heavy maroon curtains with gold trimmings tied to the side. When Taehyung turns his gaze around, he sees there's even balcony seating up above. 

Unsurprisingly, he and Jungkook are the only patrons around and Seokjin personally ushers them to the best seats in the house.

Needless to say, he doesn't pay attention to the movie much although he does find out eventually that it's the one with the mangy cat. There's a cemetery and a seemingly undead family (Taehyung knows zombies are definitely mythical though). Next to him, Jungkook keeps jumping as the screen flashes now and again and Taehyung wonders if Jimin will still be outside when the movie finishes.

Taehyung only knows the movie has finished when Jungkook is flying out of his seat and grabbing Taehyung by the arm, urgently chanting "let's go, let's go" under his breath.

He lets himself be pulled along and once they make it back to Seokjin's counter, Jimin is standing there looking like he's about to leave. He’s in casual clothes now without his work apron, a rare sight and he looks cozy in a yellow hoodie and white pants.

Seokjin smiles wide when he sees them.

"Hi! Welcome back, how's the movie?"

Jungkook immediately jumps into a very detailed synopsis complete with wild gestures as he retells it to Seokjin who intently listens in return.

"Is your shift over?" Taehyung asks Jimin who's either judging or praising Jungkook's summary with a shifty look in his eyes.

"Yes it is," Jimin tells Taehyung with a half-smile.

" _And_ they knock on the car door!" Jungkook says, finally, breathing hard and Seokjin claps his hands appreciatively.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Seokjin says. "Not everyone appreciates the art."

"Let me give you a ride," Taehyung tells Jimin who raises his eyebrows. "We brought Coop along and we kind of have an idea where you live now."

"Is that a threat?"

"Uh."

"I mean, it's great but I'm never watching it again," Jungkook says to Seokjin.

"You'll fit in the backseat; you're tiny," Taehyung says, pinching his index finger and thumb together.

Jimin rolls his eyes but he laughs, unimpressed.

"I don't know about that," he glances at Seokjin and waves a hand. "I'm going, hyung."

Jimin proceeds to turn around, throws a quick wink over his shoulder to Taehyung and starts skipping away.

Taehyung feels like he's been splashed with hot water.

"Ah, wait, wait!" he runs after him.

"Tae, wait up!" Jungkook calls, bowing quickly to Seokjin in a meek attempt at courteousness. "Sorry about that, thank you for today, Seokjin-ssi."

Seokjin's smile lights up his face as he watches his remaining guest run for the door.

As always, Coop is already waiting outside, beeping twice when both Jimin and Taehyung pushes through the double doors.

Jimin comes to a stop, smiling when he sees Coop.

 _Ah, Master Jimin, where to?_ Coop says, polite again.

"Oh, I'm not sure if I should—" Jimin starts.

"He definitely should," Taehyung puts out and Jimin gives him a look.

"Yah, Tae!" Jungkook calls out indignantly once he walks out the doors. "Wait for me—why's Jimin here?"

The look is moved to Jungkook.

"I work here," Jimin says haughtily. Taehyung is about to say something appreciative when he sees someone waving at them wildly from across the street. When he peers behind Jimin to see who it is his first impulsive thought is to kiss the ground beneath his feet for his sheer dumb luck. He settles for returning a wave.

Jihoon waves both his arms around, uncharacteristically bouncy for once, a huge smile on his face and his eyes practically crescents from smiling. Behind him, just looming close, is his brother, holding a bundle of paper bags in one hand, his other hand on his hip as he stares at Jihoon in amusement.

Taehyung sees him at the same time Jungkook does since he hears Jungkook choke on his own spit the moment it happens.

Taehyung's grin is wide and he can't help but cackle.

"Oh, Jimin, you're here too!" Jihoon calls, haphazardly crossing the road without even looking.

"Watch where you're going or so help me!" His brother calls out exasperatedly in gruff satoori.

"Uh, yeah I just...finished my shift," Jimin inches to the side awkwardly.

Jihoon is definitely in a really good mood today. He's wearing all blue, a nice contrast to his dark hair. His brother probably has a theme going on—black from his hair to his shoes. His long overcoat is a lighter gray though, and his hourglass pendant is still around his neck.

"Aren't you chipper today?" Taehyung waggles his eyebrows.

Yoongi sighs. "That's just because he found out his _friend_ Soonyoung now works part-time at his favorite bookstore."

Jihoon freezes and sends a glare towards his brother that goes unnoticed.

"That's not true, hyung!"

"I did hear him talk about his new part-time job," Jimin points out and Yoongi grins triumphantly.

"We're actually looking for an exotic pet store," Yoongi smiles, gaze flickering to Jungkook. "Do you know one around?"

Taehyung looks at his brother who's still shamelessly staring at Yoongi and likely had not heard his question at all. Taehyung elbows him hard on the gut and he bends over with a grunt.

"There's one up ahead from the next corner," Taehyung says as Jungkook starts hissing next to him.

"Yeah, I buy the stuff for my tarantulas there," Jungkook wheezes.

Yoongi's face lights up, a gummy smile flashing on his face. Taehyung had assumed he'd maintain his broody image but his bright smile still indicates otherwise. Jungkook _looks_ like he's about to pass out though.

“Oh!" Yoongi says. "You keep them too?"

Jungkook blinks, doe eyes going wide. "Ah, yeah I...have a few..."

"His room is basically just one large enclosure," Taehyung grins, raising his eyebrows. "Yoongi-hyung should stop by sometime—"

Jungkook shoves him so hard he nearly barrels into Jimin although he manages to catch his balance just in time since Jimin seems keen on inching away from this situation one centimeter at a time.

"I could—I could show you to the shop," Jungkook stammers. His ears are red, bashful for once. It's intriguing and Taehyung can't help but grin at Jihoon whose eyes are narrowed.

"Oh, would that be alright with you?" Yoongi says amiably, his smile charming.

"That's perfect!" Taehyung interjects and Jungkook glances at him warily. "Jungkook will show you the way and I'll bring Jimin home, how about that?"

"It's alright really," Jimin starts. "You don't have to—"

Taehyung steps closer to lope his arm around Jimin's, patting Coop on the side and with a beep, the two doors pop open.

"Don't you just love it when the world is serendipitous and we all get along?" Taehyung hums, gently leading Jimin into the passenger seat as Jimin sighs.

Coop beeps. _Welcome, Master Jimin._

Jimin smiles imperturbably. “Yeah, I suppose.”

Taehyung cackles, pattering to the driver's seat and after giving his brother a quick salute, the rest of them watch as Coop starts up to go.

Jungkook wonders if it's too late for the ground to swallow him whole.

"I-I'm so sorry about him," he tries meekly. Yoongi only laughs and shakes his head. 

Jihoon rolls his eyes. "Not even the tiniest bit surprised. Can we go?"

_A bittersweet memory, powdered._

Taehyung is still cackling into the steering wheel as they drive through the slightly bumpy road out of Whiskey Street and Jimin can't help but snort at his amusement.

"You know," Jimin chuckles. "I said I don't have siblings so I wouldn't know but aren't you a little mean to your brother?"

"Ah, no worries. He'll get back at me! I'll find a rattlesnake in my pillows tomorrow or something."

“Right. Okay.”

Taehyung laughs at Jimin’s expression and changes the subject.

“Do you have a turntable?”

Jimin leans his head back against the headrest.

“A turntable, huh. I guess my father would have one,” Jimin says.

“Okay, good!” Taehyung grins. “I bought a few vinyl records at the back—they’re my favorites—and you should listen to them sometime.”

The offer catches Jimin in surprise and Taehyung watches pink spots blooming on his cheeks when he glances at him so he wonders if he’s done something embarrassing again but Jimin only gives him a smile.

“I think that’s great, thank you.” Jimin tells him softly and Taehyung’s heart takes another cliff dive down to his ankles.

 _Shall I open the top?_ Coop asks them in interest. _It’s a nice day and the wind will feel nice._

“Oh, well that’s fine with me but...” Taehyung eyes Jimin in inquiry and Jimin gestures for him to go on.

“I don’t mind! Go ahead,” Jimin grins.

The wind is loud that’s for sure, and they both laugh in a start when they feel it whip past them as they’re whizzing past the turning road. But Coop was right, it feels nice, the wind is cool and the golden hour of the sun is warm and does nothing to abate the hot beating of Taehyung’s heart.

He hears Jimin’s laughter and in his periphery he sees his bright smile, his crescent eyes, the wind twisting and caressing through his golden hair as Jimin combs a hand through the strands.

“You know,” Jimin calls out to him, voice airy, “I’ve never actually done this before.”

Taehyung quirks a smile, hand tight on the steering wheel and lungs about to spill out his chest.

“I finally did you one better, huh?”

Jimin’s laugh twinkles in between them, eyes shining. Taehyung wonders if he can dream about him again and in the next time, he’d be glowing.

“I guess you have,” Jimin tells him and Taehyung falls further than the long stretch of the road.

The winding road uphill looks a lot different when there's light out. The sunlight makes the forest seem a lot friendlier with the sunbeams filtering through the leaves of the foliage, the edges of the trees are now slightly tinged with orange.

Taehyung taps the glass on his door, the top now pulled back up.

" _Now,_ I can believe there's possibly a house up there."

Jimin snorts. "I promise you, there's a house up there."

"Okay. Can I drop you off there, then?"

Jimin studies him briefly, mirth dancing in his eyes.

"Fine, since you're so curious."

Taehyung hisses in triumph under his breath and Jimin rolls his eyes.

The road uphill, a little uneven, goes ways up and all around them are mismatched rows of tree trunks as far as the eye can see and the world is a breeze of brown, green, and orange. The bending branches of the trees cover the path in the shadow of their leaves and Taehyung has never been so enveloped like this. Their family estate, after all, is only ever perpetually foggy with the nearby marsh.

It feels like forever but suddenly a large wrought cast iron gate looms ahead of them, swirling iron fittings at the top of the gate are tipped with sharp spikes resembling thorns. A large hand forged symmetrical rose sits at the center, a dagger pierced right through where the locks of the gate are.

It’s beautiful; Taehyung can’t help but feel awe.

A man in a suit unlocks the gate for them and they zip right through. Immediately, Taehyung’s eyes are filled with red. There’s clumps upon clumps of rose bushes in the vast lawn of the mansion, all red and neatly kept, and as they pass Taehyung sees a gardener trimming the excess branches of one of the red clumps. The scent is almost overwhelming, sweet but soft, even inside the car, and Taehyung wonders what Jimin does so he doesn’t smell like roses at all.

The mansion is Victorian, all brick and a deep brown hue, and likely not as old as Taehyung’s family estate. It’s large though with exactly two turrets, well kept for one, and not at all dilapidated. 

Taehyung is busy feasting his eyes at the interesting field of flowers but Jimin remains silent and Taehyung can feel his gaze on him a few times.

They’ve only come to a stop at the main doors when Jimin speaks again.

“Do you want to come inside for a bit?” he says softly, pulling at the strings of his hoodie. “Then you can show me your records yourself.”

“Sure, I’ll do that.” Taehyung doesn’t even think about it twice.

The interior of the house is a bit similar to what Taehyung is used to albeit there's only one staircase at the center of the room as opposed to the two curved staircases they have back home. It's reminiscent though. The house is warm and homey, _too_ clean and the several housemaids that greet them at the door are probably why—Taehyung actually jumps when all five of them bow in unison once the large oak doors open.

"Welcome home, Master Jimin and guest," they greet.

"Sorry," Jimin whispers next to him.

"Shall I take this for you?" The one closest to Taehyung says, reaching for the vinyl records in Taehyung's arms.

Taehyung shakes his head vigorously, eyes wide. "No, thank you. I've got it."

"How about some tea, Master Jimin?" Another asks.

"Your parents are in the foyer having some teacakes."

"Shall I prepare a bath...?"

"No, no, please," Jimin seems utterly flustered, eyeing Taehyung in between words as he raises his hands defeatedly. "I'm alright on my own, thank you. I'll call you if I need anything, hmm?"

It takes a few seconds more of persuasion before the housemaids agree to leave them by the door and Taehyung lets Jimin stew in embarrassment for a while.

"They ask me all the time what I want," Jimin finally heaves, cheeks still flushed, "and a little independence would be nice."

Taehyung inclines his head, hugging the records close to his chest.

"You're popular even at home, huh?"

Jimin snorts. "As if. Now come with me to the foyer and let's get this over with."

It's a giddy feeling but Taehyung immediately wishes he'd opted to wear something fancier when he enters the fancy foyer. The diamond chandelier is enough to make him feel shabby. 

But the feeling backtracks a second later once he sees Jimin's parents seated closely on their velvet maroon couch, giggling at something in a magazine they're reading. They're both wearing denim overalls and long beige boots as though they'd been out gardening recently.

Jimin clears his throat and the magazine is dropped to the floor as they both stand, clearly about to give an outburst of praise for their son.

"I'm with my friend," Jimin cuts in before they can say anything, sweeping a hand to Taehyung.

Taehyung gives Jimin a surprised glance. Jimin has never actually acknowledged him as a friend before, he would've let himself feel satisfied if they weren't so pressed for time.

"Pardon the intrusion, my name is Taehyung," he says, bowing deeply and once he's straightened up, Jimin's mother is right in front of him, smiling wide.

"It's no matter, you're welcome of course," she gushes, patting Taehyung's shoulder warmly. She's even smaller than Jimin but with her golden hair and the tawny eyes it's like looking down at an exact copy.

"You must be the popcorn friend, I take it?" Jimin's father muses, standing behind his wife. 

Taehyung does a double take while Jimin emits an indignant screech into his hands.

"I'm sorry—that's—popcorn friend?" Taehyung stares at Jimin unblinkingly.

"Please, enough," Jimin groans, his voice muffled.

"I guess that's me," Taehyung confirms confidently, grinning.

"Alright, stop, you've met him," Jimin rushes, exasperatedly and pink in the face again. He pulls at Taehyung's arm insistently. "Let's go, Tae."

"But we're still having conversation—"

" _Let's go._ "

"Don't be embarrassed," Taehyung tells him easily as he's dragged up the staircase like Jimin's running for his life. "Parents are weird. My mother makes crystals, my father's a lawyer—"

Jimin stops abruptly at the top of the staircase and turns around to give Taehyung his most composed expression once he's let him go.

"I just—I don't talk about you that way, okay?" he flusters.

Taehyung smiles. "No need to explain."

Jimin shuts his eyes and breathes in loudly.

"Sure. Alright. Let's go find that turntable..."

There's another living area on the second floor, albeit smaller and much less lived in. One wall is entirely filled with books packed tightly together although the drawers at the bottom are filled with knick knacks of old that Jimin starts rummaging in.

The opposite wall however, houses a painting of a very intricate family tree. The same family crest of the rose and the dagger sits at the very top and Taehyung sees a tiny inscription written into the dagger's blade: _che la mia ferita sia mortale._

It's a complicated structure, several branches going to and fro and back although the names are legibly painted, still readable through the years. He does notice a few odd family members, names from a few branches that had been completely scorched off the wall.

A few more traces and Taehyung crouches down and finds what he's looking for, one near the very bottom where the space is sparse, is Jimin's name with his birth date—October 13.

He hears Jimin padding towards him with the turntable in his arms and he squats to Taehyung's level too.

"So unnecessarily complicated, isn't it?" he says, flicking at his own name with his fingers. "Does your family have an immaculate family tree too?" his tone is sarcastic and Taehyung laughs.

"I suppose; not painted to the wall at least."

"Hmm. I suggested taking this whole thing down when we moved in but I guess there's novelty in it. That would've angered my uncle more at least." Jimin points to a name beside his father's, presumably a brother but has been burned off entirely.

"And how do you nominate yourself to be scratched off the tree?" Taehyung wants to know.

Jimin smiles. "Simple—your brother has a non-magical child, the first one in the family after decades, and you complain about it endlessly until your father steps in and casts you out the tree _and_ the ancestral home altogether."

Jimin relaxes and sits on the floor completely.

"Non-magical children can be taught though," he says. "Sometimes taught too much to compensate so many of us end up as scholars."

Taehyung hums. "Jeonghan told me that before. He always knows too much."

Jimin raises an eyebrow. "Isn't he good at mind reading or something?"

"What! Dang Hecate, I knew it! I'll never think in front of him again—"

Jimin laughs, doubling over in hilarity.

"Wait, wait! I don't know if it's true, I just heard it!"

Taehyung starts laughing too, it's ridiculous. They're both on the floor holding on to their affects all the while giggling at the ridiculousness of it all.

Jimin recovers first with an exhale and yet he still looks amused.

"That was it basically," he tells Taehyung. "My parents are magical, I wasn't so I had to learn it all. I don't have a lot of friends. Admirers, maybe but well. You've seen the sardines. I only ever get to be independent outside so again...not a lot of friends." 

Jimin leans closer and Taehyung can't help but stare back. "And then you were—sorry you're the brother of the guy who keeps scowling at me in Contemporary Magic _and_ the same person who's always just behind me in the grade listings so I thought you were finally coming for me or something."

Taehyung scoffs. "Okay, no offense but I wasn't asking for your hand or anything. Although it is quite a nice hand—"

Jimin bursts into laughter again, smacking Taehyung on the arm with the same hand he's praising.

"Shut up!"

"But look at where that got me!" Taehyung grins.

Jimin leans back on the wall, a smirk on his face.

"Yeah, look at you now," he chuckles softly. "I've heard of other scholars who were born magical, actually. Don't know who they are but I suppose you'd have to be child geniuses to be one. Like you?" Jimin beams.

Taehyung snorts, ruffling his hair—it's all messy anyway so it's fruitless to make it better.

"I'm not a genius, though."

"No," Jimin smiles and reaches for the strands of Taehyung's hair that's falling over his forehead, "but you're good at everything else, Taehyung."

The house is perpetually permeated with the soft scent of roses and in Jimin's bedroom, located the farthest away from the front gardens and directly outwards to the south, the scent is extensively lessened. This is of course, resolved with a number of vases of red roses all over the large room—on his vanity, his bedside table, the top of the posts of his bed, his work table. Jimin doesn't seem to care for it much when he takes the vase off his work table and sets it carelessly onto the floor where it could topple. He places the turntable on the table in replacement.

Taehyung takes a seat at his vanity table and flicks at one of the rosebuds, taking a whole stem out of the vase.

"My family doesn't keep the rose heads," Taehyung says candidly, prodding at the petals. The thorns have been shaved off. "Only the stems."

Jimin takes the records Taehyung brought with him once he's plugged the turntable and pauses at Taehyung's remark.

"Really?" Jimin smiles. He puts the record on and the dulcet tones of Blue Hawaii starts to croon through the entire room.

Taehyung closes his eyes and smiles.

"Hmm. My mother doesn't enjoy the smell. I'd forgotten how nice it is." 

His eyes flash open once more when he remembers the question he had in mind earlier and watches Jimin walk over to his balcony doors, sliding the curtains away and unlatching the lock to push them open. The cool breeze of approaching autumn saunters into the room, bringing with it the clean scent of the forest.

"You don't smell like roses, though," Taehyung says when Jimin comes back in and sits at the edge of his bed opposite him.

"Oh, that's magic," Jimin chuckles. "Everyone would get sick of me otherwise."

Taehyung raises an eyebrow teasingly. "I would've liked it anyway."

Jimin rolls his eyes. "Liar."

 _Oh, I was almost always true to you,_ Elvis sings in Taehyung's ear and he watches the breeze playing with Jimin's hair, watches him tuck a strand behind his ear and not the first time, wanting to be the one doing that.

Right away, Taehyung clutches his chest dramatically and leaning back against the chair as he groans.

"You wound me!"

"Gosh, you're ridiculous," Jimin muses, snorting.

Taehyung laughs and he's warm, heart content with the music dancing in his ears. Jimin looks down, feet swinging and he's smiling.

"That dream was you too, wasn't it?" Jimin ponders without looking up.

Taehyung smiles. "Sorry, I can't help it when it happens."

Jimin meets his eyes. "Oh? And here I thought you were finally giving me a prophecy or something."

"You _wish_ I was that talented."

"What does it mean then?"

Taehyung stands, rose in hand. "Dance with me, I like this song."

Jimin's eyes bulge at the sudden request.

"What?"

But Taehyung has already taken his hand and he lets himself be led helplessly out into the balcony where the music is trickling out much softer. The sun is finally setting, and Jimin is lit up by the ember rays behind him.

"An epiphany of sorts, that's what it was." Taehyung's long fingers find home against Jimin's lean waist, other hand clasping Jimin's left hand gently and he smiles when Jimin follows suit, expression enchanted.

"I used to think the world was a bit unfair but that's mostly on me, it turns out." Taehyung's voice is low and quiet but he laughs softly. "You also made me pretty jealous."

He feels a pinch on his side and he grins, promptly pulling Jimin closer so their waltz comes to a standstill.

"Tae," Jimin complains with a squeak. "You said before—"

_Take my hand_

"I know," Taehyung says and the rose finds its way behind Jimin's ear. "No need to catch up, right?"

_Take my whole life too_

Jimin's cheeks are a little cold when his hands come up to cradle them but his tiny gasp, the weight of his lips against his are warm when they meet. It's a second, perhaps two, barely a touch and Taehyung's fingers brush against the rose petals. 

It's Jimin with the thorns, still him without.

Taehyung starts to let him go, pulling back from his budding embarrassment but Jimin utters a faint cry and oh, he's helpless. This is how it's going to be.

It's Jimin's hands that pulls him back to him, Jimin's hands that wind in his hair as he steals his breath away. He kisses sweetly, like the sunset will last forever. 

A step away, Elvis sings about found love. It's balmy and the world is tinged with roses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- jimin was singing the bridge of serendipity  
> \- jimin's verbal magic cue is from Chuya Nakahara's poem "Spring Will Come Again"  
> \- guess the movie posters pt.2! :D  
> \- _che la mia ferita sia mortale_ \- "may all your wounds (that i inflict on you) be mortal" also jimin has a part-time job bc it makes him feel independent :) u prob got that though  
> \- in which i discover the rest of the blue hawaii soundtrack by elvis presley
> 
> [catch me on twitter!](http://twitter.com/crossbelladonna)


	4. an awful long way to go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Taehyung-ah," Jimin whispers, tilting his head in recall. "What was it that you wanted to tell me before?"  
> "Hmm," Taehyung mumbles and he's not anxious anymore.  
> Jimin appears perplexed. "What?"  
> "Yeah, I—"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _"So catch up 'cause you got an awful long way to go."_ ([x](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmcdLOjGVzw))

_3 cups,_ _bitterness._

Potions class is Potions class, it's nothing unusual.

The classroom is still a little too crowded and the windows still shut but autumn has come with its cool breeze and dead leaves, a comfort settling in everyone's bones as a sense of finality looms in.

It's noisy, and Professor Kim Namjoon is still ever so patient.

" _The field until yesterday / was burning now,_ " he cues verbally amidst the noise of bubbling potions and chatter, " _it stretches under clouds / and sky unmindful._ "

Pages from his personal notebook come flying off of Professor Kim's desk, encircling him like a controlled tornado and the silver sparks flashing from his hand continuously rip through the pages to shreds. Shredded, they turn orange, shifting still until they fall to the floor into a sizable pile of leaves.

"Wah," Jeonghan coos, Taehyung's partner again despite all odds. "He's so cool."

They're onto antidotes now and Jeonghan drops a clump of bezoar into their cauldron, making it bubble into a deep carmine.

Towards the front, Jimin's partner, Junhui, also a rare scholar, is levitating one of the closest leaf piles back into the air with a twirl of his finger. Jimin laughs, shooing his hand away so no leaf will fall into their cauldron.

This time though, Jimin looks back more often, now and again and their eyes would catch. This time, this time, Jimin flashes him a smile, bright and charming.

"Are you all getting busier with the end of the school year preparations?" Professor Kim asks with a grin. "This will be your third Hallows Dance isn't it?"

An excited chorus of assent answers in return. Only students Year 5 and upwards are allowed to participate and Taehyung had skipped the previous year. It's not as if it's mandatory anyway; only an end of the school year celebration in time with Halloween. There's no strict partner rule either although you'll have to inconvenience yourself with evening wear.

"We just started, actually," one of the girls says sheepishly.

"Ah, right. The physical classes handle most of it, don't they?" Professor Kim thinks loudly, tapping a finger on his chin. "Well, anyway I'd like to remind you all about your project—hoping you didn't forget of course."

The collective laughter doesn't abate the foreboding feeling of absolute disaster in Taehyung's brain.

_Mistake!_ the tiny goblin in his head says, waving around a lemon spiked on a stick. _Big Mistake!_

There's the rub.

"Hey, we're friends right," Jeonghan clarifies with him. The antidote—Taehyung has forgotten what it's for—is all ready for bottling.

"I guess," Taehyung hedges.

"Great," Jeonghan grins. Jeonghan always looks a little sleepy but when he smiles it always looks sly. "How do you feel about being a guinea pig for my project? I don't have a name for it yet."

"Uh, I'll get back to you on that."

"...hand in your report and a bottle of your potion in the first week of November," Professor Kim is saying. "If you can give a successful demonstration that would be additional points."

"Hannie-yah," Taehyung slides a jar to Jeonghan who catches it with open hands. "Can you read minds?"

Jeonghan looks bewildered, a good sign. And then he says very hesitantly, "Yeah...no?"

Whatever.

"Okay," Taehyung smacks the lid on the first jar. "If I make it to the first week of November I'll do your demonstration, how's that?"

Jeonghan could've hung the moon with his grin.

Jihoon is constructing a very intricate barrier with the lunch trays that he'd stolen from the buffet line. Very complicated with the way he's making sure he and Jungkook are no longer forced to see Taehyung eyeballing Jimin who is innocently picking at his lunch.

"What is _in_ this quiche?" Jimin sounds baffled as he picks out what looks like a tiny eye.

Taehyung actually got food from the cafeteria today and he's already dissected the inedible bits from his quiche long before Jimin could even start looking.

"The fact that you considered Taehyung's food suggestion in the first place is already questionable enough, Jimin," Jihoon says from behind his barricade. Next to him, Jungkook snorts.

"...why are you covered in lunch trays?"

Taehyung is barely listening. He's got Jimin's right hand under the table and he's got no intention of letting it go. He's still bothered by the tiny goblin in his head and now that the days are getting closer he can't ignore it any longer. He'd learned to ignore it for so long.

Jimin peers into his face and meets his eyes that have been staring at him the entire time. He's got his eyebrows raised, golden eyes amused.

"Can I have my hand back so I can eat?" he asks.

It's only a project. He'll hand it over and get it over with. That's pretty much all he has to do, isn't it? He doesn't have to—

Well. He doesn't have to.

He'll definitely tell Jimin at some point, though.

Taehyung's grasp on his hand only tightens as he pretends to think about it.

"I'm thinking," he teases and Jimin sighs.

"Tae, your kimchi is escaping," Jungkook says excitedly from over the lunch tray barrier.

They all watch as the small patch of kimchi on Taehyung's tray grows eight spindly legs and starts skittering away, leaving a trace of red slop on the table.

"Good for him," Taehyung says.

"Kimchi spider," Jungkook breathes in awe.

"Now I feel bad for picking that up," Jimin stares at the kimchi on his tray, still inanimate. 

"It's probably nothing," Taehyung grins, now playing with Jimin's fingers with no intention of letting go.

Jimin stares at his hand with pursed lips, clearly trying not to smile as his eyes flicker to Taehyung and back. A few seconds more and he picks up his chopsticks with his left hand in resignation and Taehyung almost laughs.

It's been a few days and he can still smell the lingering roses in Jimin's hair. 

_Autumn is here_ , he strokes at the knuckles of Jimin’s hand, _and I’ve changed as well._

For a school of magic the lockers are very easy to pick. One would think it would be fortified with some sort of security considering the students they have enrolled but somehow the good old lock and key is still the way to go.

This is what Taehyung is thinking as he simply prods a finger on the lock of Jimin's locker, feeling the mechanisms of the lock shift up and down until it clicks open. It didn't even take a minute.

He's never had anyone break into his locker before (his locker would bite into a thief's hand nonetheless) and he certainly has never tried breaking into someone else's (for why?) but today is a beautiful October day, the leaves are falling and the breeze is cool and the weekend is looming in.

It's still early, far too early that the halls are miraculously empty and he gets to work fast.

Next thing he knows, there's a warm hand running through his hair and his eyes snap open instantly.

"Ah," Taehyung croaks.

Jimin is looking down at him, gold eyes wide and crouching to his eye level in wonder.

"Why are you sleeping here?" Jimin mumbles.

Taehyung says. Sleeping...right. He must have fallen asleep then. He's sitting in front of his own locker, jacket bundled around him and his bag against his side.

Taehyung blinks, looking side to side. There's no one else yet.

"Huh, I wonder too," Taehyung muses.

Jimin laughs. "What?" He leans forward and gently, gently presses a kiss on Taehyung's forehead. "You'll get a cold."

Jimin stands up, chuckling in amusement still and faces his locker this time. Taehyung closes his eyes and can't help but smile when he hears the locker open.

He hears the gasp first, followed by the little sounds of thudding as the contents spill out and he takes this the cue to finally stand and brush himself off.

"Tae," Jimin sounds breathless, frozen in place. "Tae, what—"

Taehyung grins and leans his head against the open locker door.

Jimin's locker is full to the brim with red roses, right in between his notebooks, his papers, the pens he scatters around the shelves, too attached to throw them away even when they've run out. 

There are lemons, some in the spherical shape they usually come in and some in even weirder shapes like thin tendrils, all stuffed right by the thornless roses. They get displaced easier though and Taehyung watches even more of them fall onto the floor by Jimin's feet.

Jimin's eyes are wide with shock, roaming up and down the locker before settling to Taehyung who is giggling to himself in satisfaction.

"I think I did great," Taehyung comments with a shrug.

Jimin bursts out laughing. "I don't know if I should be happy or mad."

Taehyung reaches for his hand and twirls him around so his back hits softly against the roses.

Jimin is blushing, pink scattered in his cheekbones and he looks lovely, as usual, and Taehyung's heart is warm, expression soft.

"I made you laugh though, didn't I?" Taehyung chuckles.

Jimin grasps his hand tight and pulls him to his chest and they fall back together like unraveling twine. 

Taehyung has a hand against his cheek, Jimin's hands coming to clasp at Taehyung's sleeves, bunched at the elbow to keep him there.

Jimin's lips are roses under his and he can feel his sweet smile oh so gently.

"You did," Jimin mumbles, their foreheads meeting.

"Happy Friday the 13th, Jimin-ah," Taehyung whispers to his ear, giddy.

"Thank you," Jimin croaks, laughing to himself and a little teary. 

It's a beautiful October day, the lemons are tart and tangy and the world is filled with roses.

Their parents are pattering around the house and it feels odd at first to hear so much noise after months of hearing nothing but Joowon's haunted humming as he prepares their meals. Even now, Joowon is still doing the same although his mother would pop into the kitchen now and again, seemingly at random.

Taehyung stands at their cracked granite counter and stares unseeing into the distance as he rhythmically grinds coffee beans into gritty powder. He's not sure where Jungkook is and the house is not shaking from explosions or crawling with reptiles so he's probably entertained somewhere.

"Taehyung-ah!"

Taehyung jolts and his mother is rushing to his side. It's then he realizes the coffee grinder is overflowing.

"It's too much," she says, laughing. "Are you alright?"

"Uh, yes."

She gives him a _look_ that mothers often do and gathers the spilled powder into another cup while Taehyung watches. She takes it to their manual coffee press for stamping.

"How many cups do you need?" she asks, smiling.

Taehyung clears his throat. "Three."

"Three it is. How are the metaphysical classes handling the end of the year celebrations?"

Taehyung chuckles and crosses his arms, leaning his hip against the counter.

"Well, it's been something," he quips. They do most of the program work and behind the scenes action, really. The physical classes are more than enthusiastic to handle the decorating and pretty much everything else.

His mother rolls her eyes affectionately. "Never changes, you lot," and she pulls down the lever of the coffee machine for the hot water to flow.

Taehyung fidgets. He fidgets a lot lately and dance being a week away might be why. He'd been planning to pass his project the night of the dance (the faster he gets rid of it, the better) and then rip the band-aid off entirely by telling Jimin all about it in the same night. He might get punched so he's stressing.

"Mom," Taehyung says.

"Yes, dear."

"Have you ever wanted to punch Dad?"

His mother laughs, baffled.

"Oh sure, you know before you and Jungkook were born your father had a bit of a reckless streak," she cackles like a snitch. "He would go off to meet dangerous clients without telling me. Said he didn't want me to worry but I worried anyway so when he came home all scratched up from a wendigo we had a huge row and I was crying and I wanted to punch him and he never did it again."

Taehyung blinks. "...Alright."

“Do _you_ feel like punching someone?”

“If anything I feel like _I’m_ going to be punched.”

His mother pulls out a large mug from the drawers and pours in three cups of espresso into it, all the while smiling.

“Oh? At least you’re self-aware.”

Taehyung laughs softly.

“Yeah. That’s the first step to everything though, isn’t it? Being self-aware.”

His mother sets the mug onto a small tray and slides it towards Taehyung, reaching for her son to pat him tenderly on the cheek.

“You’re right,” she says.

So he says, but a few hours later and deep into the night, Jungkook walks in on him at the conservatory, looking glum as he’s bathed under the moonlight and solemnly dumping the mug full of espresso into his cauldron.

“Oh, Hades,” Jungkook grimaces.

“It’s late,” Taehyung says blankly. His cauldron is on top of the table, clear of all other things save for potion ingredients and the burner where he’s got a small fire going. Eventually, he hauls his cauldron up on it.

“No kidding, I forgot my shears,” Jungkook says, striding inside and starts diving away among the plants inside the greenhouse, mumbling to himself. Once he finds it though, he stands back up and watches his brother stirring the pot dispassionately, sighing every now and then.

“Do you want some help?” Jungkook raises an eyebrow.

“Only a bit. I might end up drowning myself in it otherwise.”

Jungkook’s grimace returns. “What happened to _you_ now? Geez.”

He walks over to the table and grabs the paper Grandma had left them with. He’s never really read it thoroughly before and he sets out to start arranging he potions in order of the procedure. There’s a lot of complicated verbal spells involved though, so Taehyung would’ve needed him anyway.

Taehyung sighs once more, taking out a mortar and pestle from underneath the table.

"I’ve kissed Jimin," Taehyung confesses, a little out of it.

Jungkook abruptly freezes, slowly turning an eye to his brother. He couldn't be anymore shocked to be honest, considering how things have been going the past few weeks.

"A couple of times," Taehyung continues, eyes far away.

Jungkook sets the paper down.

"Okay, disgusting. Why're you telling me this,"

"You would tell me if you'll ever kiss Yoongi-hyung."

" _What?_ No, I wouldn't."

"That's hurtful," Taehyung pulls a breath in through his teeth like a backward whistle.

Jungkook flails exasperatedly.

"Why are you telling me this?"

Taehyung glares at his bubbling cauldron, grabbing the onggi pot of chunjang paste that their grandmother had left then with and starts scooping spoonfuls into the bubbles.

"I don't want to do this anymore," he says.

"You don't have to do it you know? Just pass it and we forget about it." Jungkook drops the tear-tracked tissue, now dry, into the cauldron, Taehyung's veins glowing green with sparks momentarily and the cauldron starts to hiss.

"I'm going to tell Jimin," Taehyung says determinedly. He looks a little frightening in the dark with the veins on his neck lit up a neon green. His eyes look unearthly; his dark irises tinged with verdigris.

Jungkook shrugs. "I guess you'll want to."

"I'll have to do it on the day of the dance. Pass it quickly to Professor Kim and tell Jimin. Do you think he'd punch me when there's an audience?"

Jungkook snorts and Jimin's eyelash finds its way into the pot. The contents remain a thick, starch color of tar, however, a faint shimmer starts rising to the top.

"I'd punch you anyway if this happened to me," Jungkook cackles.

Taehyung nods seriously. "I'd deserve it."

Now this is a surprise. Jungkook scowls, eyeing his brother owlishly.

"Are you alright?"

"No, I feel foolish." Jimin's voice, Jimin's laughter, comes pouring into the bubbling pot and Taehyung watches it coalesce into the mixture and feeling a bit melancholic. The shimmer gets stronger, strong enough to abate the sick pitch color of the potion so that under the moonlight it looks closer to dark metallic ochre now. A sandalwood smell fills the room, a familiar scent associated with sad magic.

Jungkook doesn't say anything and he doesn't move either so Taehyung faces his brother and sees Jungkook staring at him, looking perplexed with his head tilted. 

So he _does_ know how to act cute after all, Taehyung thinks out of nowhere, the thought popping out so randomly that it nearly makes him laugh.

Taehyung shakes his head with a smile, finally back to his senses again.

He waves a hand flippantly and takes the unopened water bottle on the table, cracking it open and spilling the contents into the cauldron.

"Sorry," Taehyung says, "that was a bit odd, wasn't it?"

Jungkook takes a moment to respond, handing a stem of a now dried rose to Taehyung. Taehyung takes it quietly, eyes closing and hand tight on the stem. Faintly he sees the balcony behind his eyelids, the sunset, the scent of roses in Jimin's hair, feels soft lips against his.

It's tossed into the mortar, crushed into powder by the weight of the pestle, along with it the memory of Elvis Presley's dulcet crooning.

"You really like him," Jungkook finally says, voice in sincere surprise as Taehyung pours the powder into the cauldron and the room is filled instantly with the strong scent of roses. The potion is fully gold now, sparkling in the dim light and Taehyung's glowing veins pulsate in tandem with his heart.

"Of course I do," Taehyung says. What a strange thing to say should it be a few months back. People grow and grow, so fast and who you are yesterday is not who you will be tomorrow.

"Alright," Jungkook replies straight away that Taehyung startles. The veins in Jungkook's forearm start radiating blue. He waves the paper with the ingredients and steps again, turns it over to point at the verbal spells written steadfastly on the opposite side. "Let me help you."

"Oh, Kookie," Taehyung sniffs.

" _For the tainted sorrow: / Today too snow falls on it,_ " Jungkook whispers, breathing out blue fog. " _For the tainted sorrow: / Today too wind blows on it._ "

The photos are the last. He can't give it all, he can't. He chooses one out of the three blindly and clips it off, stares at it for even longer with his heart curdling.

Jimin is smiling, as he does, bright and happy as Taehyung pulls him close to his side, ruffling his golden hair. In the photo he's smiling too, a real boxy one and only because, when the camera snapped, Jimin had been laughing.

Life handed him an extremely mutated lemon this time, Taehyung thinks as he's dropping the photo into the pot, the potion sizzling with Jungkook's words. He can't help but smile though—hadn't it always been this way?

-

"By the pricking of my thumbs,

Something wicked this way comes."

— Macbeth, Act IV Scene I

It's chilly out, as one would expect on the last night of October. It's cheery though, with jack o'lanterns lined outside their windows, all with various laughing faces that Joowon had carved personally. They're all lit up with an eerie orange glow. Several crystals are dripping like cobwebs from practically every inch outside the expanse of their lawn. Their mother loved Halloween after all, although, unfortunately, she loved the Hallows Dance too.

It's 8 pm and they're pulling up to the school doors along with many others. While everyone else is out trick or treating, they're here. In school. They had no classes today just for this occasion and it’s strange to see the main school building lit up so dimly although out there in the field where the dance is, it’s likely to be much brighter.

Or darker—Taehyung has yet to face the consequences of his actions.

_Please stop scratching at your collars, Master Jungkook._ Coop says.

"It's _itchy,_ " Jungkook gripes, scratching still.

Taehyung taps at the steering wheel as they're waiting their turn to alight and he glances at his brother with a teasing smile.

Jungkook looks much younger than he is with his evening wear, their father even commented about it while they were dressing up. It's nothing bad; he's glowing in all white, from his slacks to his dress shirt with ruffled ribbons at his neck instead of a tie. His collars are long and hand-embroidered with deep blue irises all around the neck and he's been scratching at them since their parents shoved them both in the car to go.

“Yoongi-hyung’s going to be there,” Taehyung reminds. Jihoon had begrudgingly told them about this fact stating Yoongi is friends with some of the faculty. “You should look nice. If you don’t dance with him at least once then what truly is the point.”

“Shut up,” Jungkook scoffs. “You didn’t leave your report, did you?”

Taehyung sighs. “Nope.”

“Your potion?”

“In the backseat. Conveniently placed in a _thermos_.”

“I told you it was the only storage we had at the moment!”

Taehyung has a vague idea how this night is going to go, as vague as ideas can get: he has to go up and quickly take his stuff and sneak it into Professor Kim’s office for passing, present himself at the dance, get Jimin aside and spill his guts out and either get punched and go home or possibly kiss him at the end of the night.

Perhaps. Maybe.

The car behind them is honking impatiently and they move up to go. Taehyung knocks his forehead against the steering wheel a couple of times to steel himself.

"Don't sweat it," Jungkook sniffs. "I think it's a good plan. Anyway, I don't think he can punch that hard. His fists are tiny."

"I really don't want to test that out."

_Time to go,_ Coop tells them and Taehyung and Jungkook share one last glance.

"No choice," Jungkook shrugs.

The school hallways are a lot easier to traverse with the vast emptiness that even their hurried footsteps sounds ten times louder than it is. In the darkness of the night and the chill in the air, though, it makes Taehyung feel like they're fugitives.

It doesn't help that he's clutching the ridiculous thermos like a lifeline and his bundled report to his chest. 

"You know where Professor Kim's office is, right?" Jungkook huffs next to him.

"K...Kind of," Taehyung stretches. He doesn't actually. He only knows his office is in the basement where absolutely no natural light will come close to his rare collection of potions. "The basement?"

Jungkook halts his steps to throw an unimpressed gaze to Taehyung and he clicks his tongue.

"The basement," he mumbles under his breath sarcastically and they make for the practically ancient castle elevators, right into a hallway directly in between the forked corridors of the separate lockers for physical and metaphysical students.

The elevator creaks loudly as it goes down, almost a perilous sound and Taehyung watches his and his brother's reflections on the old, stained elevator doors. Jungkook is tapping his foot impatiently and Taehyung looks sallow in the low, yellow light of the lift.

"We look like criminals," Taehyung comments with a laugh that he can't help but muster.

"You fit the bill although we're literally just passing homework." Jungkook says, giving him a once-over.

How rude. Taehyung thinks he looks rather nice, a complete contrast in color to Jungkook. His pants are black, and his leather shoes. His dress shirt is dark too, with small beads running down the length of his shirt and he'd had two buttons open at the collar.

It's a cold night and he had scourged his father's dresser earlier to find a nice coat and he'd found a velvet one in checkered dark blue and black, so long it reached his ankles but it was thick and cozy and he didn't even think twice.

Taehyung's eyes widen. "Do you think Jimin will think so too?"

Jungkook groans just as the elevator screeches to a stop.

"I don't know Tae, you know him better," he says, pushing them both out of the elevator and into the silence and stagnant air of the basement.

There are plenty of sconces on the walls so the hallway up ahead is actually much brighter than inside the elevator. The smell is a bit moldy though and the limestone walls are a bit green and look pretty damp.

"I don't want him to think I'm a loser," Taehyung says as Jungkook greets a wall directory with a big _aha!_

"You're kind of a loser."

"Well, he can't know that yet."

Jungkook scoffs but not unkindly and he steers Taehyung to the left hallway.

"You can worry about that later," he says. "For now—surprise, surprise there's only one office here. I wonder who it is." Now he's definitely sarcastic.

"I don't think he stays here all the time," Taehyung peers at his feet carefully, the stone floor is pretty slippery. “Only in between classes.”

"Of course he doesn't or he'd always smell like mold. _I_ don't want to smell like mold so if we can please hurry..."

Absolutely not. He'd put on his most expensive perfume today; he's not about to waste it. 

It's not too far, and they find that Professor Kim's office is more of a storage than anything else. Somehow despite the far too important contents of the room, it’s unlocked, a far too clumsy decision, and they push the oak doors with a loud creak.

The moldy smell is nonexistent here replaced with a slightly burnt odor of magic. The room is entirely cramped with several glass cabinets filled with pretty much every potion Taehyung had known all the seven years he's been studying. The walls are definitely a lot less moldy but the various trinkets that litter the floor and the cabinets doesn't make it any better.

Now's not the time to ogle though, and quickly he rushes to Professor Kim's desk, a small thing with virtually no space left so Taehyung gingerly sets aside some of the ornaments to carefully place his report and the thermos.

Satisfied, he hunts for a small post-it, writes his name and year on it for good measure and slaps it onto the thermos.

"Tae, we'll be late," Jungkook whines by the door.

Always the worrier. Taehyung grins and gives him a thumbs up.

"I'm done," he rushes forward.

The elevator ride upwards is a lot more disconcerting. It screeches louder and Taehyung is sure at some point that the cables are close to snapping.

Jungkook would've sprawled on the floor once they'd made it back if he weren't wearing anything fancy.

"How in Tartarus does he manage to ride that thing every single day?" He grips on the wall instead, heart still thudding loudly in his ears.

Taehyung shrugs. "Capitalism, maybe."

"Nevermind, you're ridiculous."

They're about to walk towards the longer corridors leading to the back exit straight out to the field when they hear soft footsteps walking by, only audible since there's nobody around. This is already odd in itself since everyone attending would want to pass through the nearer hallways by the main doors as it's much closer to the field and for some reason, Taehyung's first instinct says ghosts.

So he turns around quickly, a complete about-face in an instant so that his coat swishes, eyes wide and unblinking since the footsteps are getting closer.

Jungkook makes a disgruntled noise however when he sees who it is over Taehyung's shoulder.

It's only Chuhan from the greenhouse, both regarding them now with an obviously displeased expression.

"Thought I heard a bit of an argument," he says in a simpering tone, patting his gelled blond hair, "but it's _only_ you both."

He hurts to look at just a bit. His whole suit is a metallic silver, so shiny it reminds Taehyung of tin.

"Ah, great," Jungkook mumbles.

"And here I thought it was a ghost," Taehyung cackles unpleasantly, "but it's someone worse. Well, sorry for wasting your time." He puts an arm around his brother, waving a snide goodbye to Chuhan as he does so and starts for the exit again.

Chuhan huffs, all nasty.

"You look even more pathetic now with that bath robe of yours," he says, smugly.

Taehyung could easily stop and spit back a reply, as Jungkook starts doing with an indignant shout but he merely continues pulling Jungkook along to the exit, tightening his hold so he won't break free. 

He won't react to that. Now _that_ would be pathetic. After all, he knows he looks good.

He gives Chuhan a look over his shoulder though, a tiny wink and a finger gun gesturing to his entire body.

"Might want to suggest sunglasses for ya," he grins.

Ironically, Professor Kim is the first person Taehyung recognizes once they're out in the field. There are about seven large tents shoved together in a heptagon so the field, usually for sports, now looks like it's home to one massive spaceship. There are people lumbering outside still and lights are flickering brightly from inside the tent, the faint sound of music thrums through the grass at their feet.

It's Professor Kim who's ushering them all inside with his kind, dimpled smile. He looks exceedingly handsome tonight in his black pants and dress shirt but his long, billowing overcoat is particularly catching. He's wearing _boots_ and jewelry that he almost never wears in class.

"I should get a dance with him at least once," Taehyung muses, grinning at his brother who rolls his eyes.

"You're shameless," Jungkook says.

"We're about to start," Professor Kim says and Taehyung waves at him. Jungkook elbows his brother as they're going in.

It's packed inside the tent with people strolling around or finding tables with their friends or partners, all in various shades of black and gray and white although several outliers stand out now and again.

It's not as bright as Taehyung initially thought—the lights are dim, almost a romantic lilac glow although not dim enough to be obstructive. Low enough though that should you be wearing body glitter, you'd walk around sparkling. 

The crystal chandelier lights are twinkling up above, raining them all with a soft glow. There are petite round tables and chairs to the sides of the tent leaving a vast space at the center for dancing and a grand stage at the front end. There's likely a buffet table somewhere but Taehyung's eyes are busy hunting something else.

Someone.

"Wait, is _that_ Jihoon?" Jungkook gapes next to him, actually pulling at his sleeve.

He points in a random direction to the back and Taehyung has to squint through the bodies to see where he's pointing at. It's at one of the far end tables at the center and he doesn't recognize the person standing at first.

His first thought is—Yoongi-hyung? It could have been since this person is looking very dapper in a dark, double-breasted navy suit _and_ a thin choker for one. But then this person catches their eye and waves at them brightly and Taehyung realizes it's Jihoon after all, only with his hair pushed up.

"Did you switch places with your brother?" Taehyung wants to know and Jihoon lands a good smack to his arm once he's within reach.

"You think you're so hilarious," Jihoon cracks up.

"Wow, you got an undercut," Jungkook says, as they all sit down. "Is Soonyoung doing alright?"

"Don't look now but my brother is staring at you from the teacher's tables to your left," Jihoon fires back, casually sipping some water that's on the table.

Jungkook clambers to spin around and Taehyung nearly chokes on his laughter.

"Hopeless," Jihoon says.

Jungkook gets a good look for a hot second before he's sinking onto the table, banging his forehead against the edge.

"O-Oh no, he's cute," Jungkook mutters over and over.

Taehyung looks up and sees Yoongi a few tables ahead of them to the left. Hoseok, the performing arts instructor, is talking to him animatedly but Yoongi's attention seems half-torn between looking at Jungkook and replying to Hoseok steadily.

Oh, he _is_ cute. His suit is light pink, almost purple under the strobing lights. His dress shirt is an even darker shade of rose and he's wearing square glasses and tiny hoop earrings. For once, he's not wearing any other jewelry. No wonder Jungkook is choking.

It’s also Hoseok who greets them all a while later as Taehyung’s sharp eyes continue to roam. He gets up to the stage clad in his impeccable black suit, so dark he’s like the night sky, and wishes them all a wonderful evening all the while making snide comments about how another school year is _finally_ ending. 

There's laughter, and it's only when Hoseok is getting off the stage when his eyes find the one he's looking for.

Ah, well. Who knew the scholars had designated tables?

"Excuse me," Taehyung tells his tablemates with a grin, standing just as everyone else starts to as well when a group starts rolling out a performance onstage.

"Remember to dodge and avoid getting kicked on the money maker!" Jungkook hisses at him as he leaves the table and Taehyung quickly gives him an OK gesture much to Jihoon's bewilderment. 

He's got a loose script prepared and recited by the tiny goblin in his head repetitively as he's walking to the scholar's table. He shoves his hands in his pockets so they'll stop sweating and he watches Jimin laugh with Junhui while sparkling under the lights.

Literally sparkling. As he gets closer he realizes the collar and sleeves of Jimin's pure white dress shirt is tulle and dotted with actual crystals. When Jimin turns his head and catches his eye, Taehyung sees two gems underneath his eyelids and his script bites the dust and might as well have been garbage.

"Tae!" Jimin calls brightly. 

It's steadily getting noisier with the performers starting up and the cheering getting louder but Taehyung can't seem to focus on anything else but Jimin's eyeshadow, the gems under his eyes, his tinted lips, the golden curls, his half-hoop earrings, his see-through sleeves that briefly makes Taehyung wonder if he's even cold—

Jimin laughs airily when Taehyung stops about a foot away, tilting his head and pretending not to recognize him right away.

"So it _is_ you," Taehyung grins.

"Oh, the nerve! Not like you didn't recognize me already!"

"But you're not usually sparkly," Taehyung laughs, sidling next to their table.

"Sure, and you..." Jimin slowly looks him over in appraisal and shuts his mouth before smiling crookedly. "How come you look so cool?"

Nothing else could be as satisfying.

"It’s the only thing I learned in school," he winks.

Jimin huffs lightheartedly and gestures to his seatmate.

"This is Junhui," he smiles.

Taehyung and Junhui share a look. They know each other from class although Taehyung supposes he doesn't really _know_ the latter. Still, Junhui always seems to look good-natured, if not teasing.

"I know you know him from class, Tae," Jimin rolls his eyes before he can say anything and Junhui laughs, extending his hand.

"I _guess_ we're not really friends," he tells Taehyung with a grin. "You can call me Jun."

Taehyung shakes his hand with a glint of mirth in his eye.

"Taehyung," he introduces. "You know, I actually have a theory on classroom friendships you should hear it sometime."

" _No_ theories, Tae."

Junhui's entire face lights up in interest though and he leans his elbows on the table, resting his chin on his palms to look up at Taehyung.

"Oh, no, no I'd like to hear it,” he indulges and Jimin groans exaggeratedly.

Of course, Taehyung would have started rambling off despite Jimin still shaking his head vehemently in dissent but the crowd starts up in cheers again, drowning out practically everything else. Someone starts calling for Junhui's name from the back tables as well, loudly and above the already piercing noise and waving their entire body for Junhui to see.

Junhui is sheepish when he sees them and he puts his hands together in apology to Taehyung.

"Ah...that was quick," he says, his expression hardly hiding mischief as he throws glances over his shoulder. "Seems like I have to raincheck on your classroom theory for now. I definitely want to hear it though—maybe later? My friend has uh, partner problems."

"Oh, don't worry," Taehyung chortles. "I'm free to talk about it anytime."

The instant Junhui runs off, Taehyung is left with the brunt of Jimin's full, sparkly-eyed attention and he's weakly backpedaling to his senses.

"S-So, where'd the rest of your tablemates go?" Taehyung's thigh meets the side of the table and he's trying to look casual by crossing his arms.

"Ah, you know how it is," Jimin waves his hand to his empty table and the other empty tables behind them. "They don't usually stay put the whole night."

Right. Everyone would be clamoring for an opportunity to dance with a scholar tonight. He's seen people take actual turns to waltz with Jimin and yet here he is seated looking all amused by the loud audience and fluttering his eyelashes when he so much as catches Taehyung's eye.

"Right. You're here though," Taehyung points out.

Jimin raises an eyebrow and oh, he's teasing.

"Well, I'm talking to you," Jimin hides a giggle with a hand. "You're also kind of intimidating, Tae. People won't approach me when you're here."

Taehyung feels like he's being dunked repeatedly in a pool of lava. His face is burning.

"I'm—what?" he starts, dumbfounded.

Jimin stands and leans against the table like he does, smile dancing with jibes and he motions to their height difference with his hand.

"Also pretty tall, I'd say." 

"R-Right. Sorry for stealing you away from your partners?"

Jimin grins and shrugs. "I'm not."

"Those girls in the back look like they're wanting to kiss you right now."

Jimin bursts out laughing and kicks Taehyung on the shin playfully. The Pavlovian reinforcement is complete in Taehyung's brain.

They both watch as the crowd starts dispersing back as the loud performance fades and a new, slower tune starts filtering through speakers.

"I heard it's Jihoon's brother who's going to play the piano," Jimin continues, pointing to two people sliding in an old, brown upright piano up the stage.

Now this is news. Taehyung can't see his table at the moment with people still milling around but he's wondering if Jungkook is about to have a cardiac arrest.

"I know at least _one_ person who's glad to know that." Taehyung snickers.

"Oh? I'm performing tonight too. I wonder if you'll be one of them for me?" Jimin inclines his head and beams.

A bolt of lightning flashes through Taehyung's head to his toes.

"I—Yeah—you, are you going to dance?" He'd heard Jimin had danced last year. He'd _seen_ Jimin dancing the year before that.

Jimin's eyes widen. "Um, no but now I'm thinking I should've picked to dance now that you said that."

"What?" Taehyung laughs, shaking his head and his hands. "No, no—hold on that's not what I mean—"

Jimin laughs softly behind his hand. "Oh, I know," he says. "I'll make sure to sing some songs you'd know, huh?"

Taehyung's hands are clammy again. His heart has been swallowed whole by his stomach. The butterflies in his lungs can't get any more aggressive than this.

His shoulders relax, resigning to his fate and he lets himself smile.

"You mean old ones," he whispers.

Jimin leans forward and whispers back. "Yes. Well, kind of. I don’t really know what’s new to you, Tae."

He leans back and shrugs easily. "Oh, and by the way. I don't go around kissing people, you know? Only the ones I like." His fingers come up to Taehyung's ear, brushing a strand of hair away and sending another shiver down his spine. Boy, isn't this a chilly night?

The gears in his head kick in and the tiny goblin in his head waves his lemon on a stick one more time. Taehyung's hand settles on Jimin's side, gently like a flower.

"I've got something to tell you," Taehyung says and Jimin raises his eyebrows.

"Oh!" Jimin hums. "What is it?"

A sharp smack right next to them makes them both jump, Jimin daintily while Taehyung's soul leaves through his ears at the interruption. No. Nonono not when he's already planning what to say—

Junhui's back and he looks a little rushed but he's grinning.

"Jimin, Jimin," he pants. "We need you back there."

Jimin blinks at him. "What, now?"

"Yeah, Jimin. You're singing with Seokmin or Mina, who was it?"

Jimin laughs. "Neither!"

"Ah, right, dang so you should—"

"Now?" It's so rare to hear Jimin whine over a task, especially something like this and even after everything, Taehyung manages to chuckle.

"It's alright," he finally caves with an encouraging smile. "I'll be watching so perform well, alright?"

Jimin makes a face like an annoyed cat.

"Please, Jimin-aaah," Junhui gripes, grinning.

Jimin sighs and points at Junhui, scowling. "You owe me."

Taehyung steps away almost reluctantly just as Yoongi starts playing his symphony. A new crowd has started to form in the large space but this time it's softer, with the lights even dimmer and fading in and out on paired couples drawing themselves around.

"See you later, Jiminie," Taehyung salutes, walking backwards and the last he sees of Jimin is his downturned lips, almost heart-wrenching. He knows full well Jimin will be swept away by relentless pleas to dance with him throughout the night and he only hopes he can keep his small promise.

He walks along the edges of the dancing couples, tilting his head and listening to Yoongi's drifting fingers along the keys. It seems like every time they meet, Yoongi always has something new to show.

The crowd is quite hard to discern now with the slow music and the intimate lights. He sees a few familiar faces—Jeongyeon dancing with a scholar who's in Taehyung's year, Nayeon. They're both leaning into each other and Jeongyeon seems to be whispering in her ear.

Well, if that isn't depressing.

It takes him some time to reach back to their table again. Most of the chairs around them are empty although Jihoon and Jungkook are still on their seats. Jihoon looks a bit irritated, angrily sipping on his juice with a straw and Jungkook...has his face in his hands.

"You don't _look_ like you got punched," is what Jihoon tells Taehyung when he sits down next to his brother. He sighs and leans his elbow on the back of Jungkook's chair.

"Just wait," he says ominously. To Jungkook, he reaches for the back of his neck and scratches. "I thought _you'd_ be happy."

Jihoon instantly starts snorting. "Oh, you should've seen his face when they dragged the piano in."

"Don't talk to me," Jungkook sounds all muffled.

"Lots of surprises, your brother," Taehyung tells Jihoon with a grin and he rolls his eyes as he slurps his juice. "On another surprise, I caught your loverboy asking for Junhui earlier. Apparently had some 'partner problems' whatever that meant."

The juice goes down the wrong way and Jihoon is left to muffle his coughing into his sleeve so as not disturb the performance. Jungkook actually looks up in glee.

Taehyung can see Soonyoung from their table actually. He's standing next to Junhui just by the right side of the stage and staring straight at them. Taehyung hadn't bothered to recognize him earlier although seeing as how his luck tonight is speeding downhill so fast, he should have known.

Taehyung releases a breath. "I've been interrupted twice this evening and I'm sure he's about to do it for the third time."

Jihoon is still caught up in his thoughts and he crushes the straw in his hand.

"Can you run that by me again," he says flatly.

"...I've been interrupted twice tonight?"

"No!"

Taehyung's smile is devious. "Oh, right. Soonyoung's lamenting over partner problems."

"What on Hecate does that even mean?" Jihoon hisses, although mostly to himself as he stares at his hands.

"Doesn't it mean he just wants to get with you but you don't like him so this is it?" Jungkook scoffs, attention still tracking Yoongi's stature hunched over his piano.

"I don't _dislike_ him," Jihoon stresses, clenching his hands. 

"Oh?" Taehyung eyes the figure in a deep brown cashmere suit approaching. "Tell me more."

"It's not him," Jihoon insists. "I told you this before—look at me!" He smacks his chest with his hand and Taehyung raises his eyebrows.

"I'm looking."

"Yes, and?" Jihoon nods earnestly. "I wouldn't date _me_ and—"

Taehyung sits up, grinning.

"Oh, sorry," Soonyoung looks a bit sheepish as he comes to a stop behind a still raging Jihoon. He looks dashing, gray hair swept to the side artistically. "Did I come at the wrong time?" He wonders.

Jihoon opens his mouth and closes it again. His eyes are wide and he looks like he's been shot, sitting frozen in his seat and refusing to turn around.

Taehyung waves a hand, grinning. Beside him, Jungkook shakes his head.

"Absolutely not," Taehyung gestures for him to go on. "Just pretend we're not here; I'm not listening."

And like a good friend, he sits back and faces the dancing couples in front of them. Yoongi looks like an angel in the spotlight, dark hair falling softly on his forehead and he's smiling to himself as he plays.

"I know you said I shouldn't get ahead of myself," Soonyoung says. "But I'd like to try—getting ahead of myself, I mean. If you'd let me."

Taehyung smiles. Ah, that's sweet. Sweet like the mellow tunes from the piano, sweet like whispering lovingly into your lover's ear, parting their hair. Sweet like the tremble in your voice when you stand to answer.

"Y-You really mean it." It's not a question and Jihoon pushes back his chair to face him.

"I don't think I've meant anything more than this in my life."

So this is what they mean when people get swept off their feet. Taehyung and Jungkook both watch as Soonyoung pulls Jihoon to the dance floor among the twirling bodies, their eyes only on each other.

"That's sweet," Taehyung finally utters with a proud smile. "He's kind of like our son between us three, right?"

"That's weird. Never say that again."

"Right."

Yoongi's sonata goes on for a while, still the same tenderness as new dancers come and go and Taehyung watches them all with interest. Jihoon doesn't come back to their table once he finishes dancing with Soonyoung although they're both laughing when they move out of the floor.

Taehyung is picking at the hors d'oeuvres he'd briefly stood up to get and is offering bits of it to Jungkook who's looking steadily annoyed at his gesture.

"I know you want to dance," Taehyung grins, "but what can you do when the one you want to dance with is the pianist?"

"Don't rub it in, please."

"How about some canapés to ease your hunger of the heart?"

Before Jungkook can smack away the pastry he's offering though, the piano keys start trickling to a close until it finally stops. Jungkook's head instantly whips back to the front and they catch Yoongi bowing as the dancers applause.

Jungkook makes a tiny high-pitched noise and as Yoongi gets off the stage, Taehyung's heart jolts back into realization.

"I think," his mouth runs, grabbing Jungkook's arm in reflex, "I think Jimin might be next I..."

His eyes flash out into the crowd, to the stage, looking for the familiar golden hair as an orchestra assembles themselves onstage. There's a single microphone at the center.

Taehyung's heart squeezes. _I'll be glad,_ he thinks, _I told you I'll be glad to watch you._

Quite hard to believe as Jungkook looks like he's panicking in his seat, it's Yoongi who runs up to their table, smiling wide even if he looks rushed. He pushes back his hair as he catches his breath and Jungkook flinches in shock, standing up instantly.

"You're still here, good," Yoongi laughs to himself.

"Hyung, y-you were really good. Um, I didn't know you could play," Jungkook stammers and if he weren't so tense at the moment, Taehyung would've laughed at his expense with the way his face colors in the light. 

Yoongi has the gall to be surprised with the compliment and he actually reacts bashfully. He bows his head and scratches the back of his neck.

"Just a little thing I like doing," he says softly, and without missing a beat, continues with shy eyes, "Please dance with me."

Taehyung can't see his face directly but Jungkook's jaw must have met the floor by now.

"I—I," he shoots a glance to Taehyung, doe eyes wide with excitement and hesitation. "You're okay being alone for a while?"

The thoughtful question is already shocking in itself but Taehyung still manages to splutter in laughter.

"Of course," he beams. "Don't even think twice. I'll kick you." 

To Yoongi he teases, "He's been itching to grab you out of the piano bench, hyung."

"No, I wasn't! I respect your art, hyung."

Taehyung snorts. "Go on."

"I'll bring him back later so you won't be lonely," Yoongi grins.

"It's okay," Taehyung's eyes are trained on the stage in gripped anticipation. Jimin walks to the microphone with finesse and his eyes start roving through the crowd. Taehyung smiles and teasingly winks at his brother one last time. "Keep him if you want."

Jimin is beautiful, this he knows. In the spotlight, the gems on his tulle sleeves and underneath his eyes, are sparkling. His golden hair gleams and his eyes are soft and smoldering as they continue searching. The orchestra swells with music and Taehyung moves forward in his seat, leaning his elbows on his knees.

Jimin catches his gaze when the crowd drifts apart just for a second and his expression drifts to a serene smile. The music starts bleeding into the night and when Jimin starts to sing, the most curious thing starts to happen.

" _You're in my arms, and all the world is calm. The music playing on for only two._ "

A single rose sprouts from the rotating branches that start from where Jimin's hand is holding the mic and Taehyung is enraptured.

This song, he knows this song, and his heart pounds when he realizes it, the familiar words seeping through his skin. Briefly he thinks it's ironic—now _he's_ the one itching to pluck Jimin out of his performance. He can't look away and although Jimin's gaze moves, it always lands back to him and once again, he's stricken.

This is how to fall in love at night. Every time after that he'd like to find out too.

Jimin sweeps a hand as he sings and a shower of soft sparkling light rains down on the couples dancing. Taehyung laughs softly to himself. _Like before._

Before it was simpler. Now with Jimin singing, eyes tender as he smiles at Taehyung, he finds himself mimicking the words.

" _And now you're beside me, and look how far we've come._ " Jimin's eyes close. " _So far we are, so close._ "

So close, so far.

“Hi.”

Jimin’s answering smile is enough to make Taehyung’s heart wander upwards to his throat. He’s trying to look calm and at ease as he waits for him at his currently empty table and that’s exactly where Jimin heads to after his performance.

“Oh, look at you,” Jimin laughs. “Being sneaky?”

Taehyung shakes his head. “Just making sure I get to dance with you at least once before the wolves drag you away.”

Jimin rolls his eyes, grinning impishly.

“I haven’t danced with anyone yet.”

Taehyung beams his boxy smile and holds out his hand. “I’m feeling lucky, suddenly. Dance with me.”

Jimin takes his extended hand, pulls his other one to him with a cheeky wink.

“All you had to do was ask.”

"How bad do you think it'll be for me when they realize I took your first dance of the night?" Taehyung stage-whispers to Jimin as they meander to the dance floor, eyes following them as they go despite a new singer already setting up a new tune.

Taehyung has a hand on Jimin's waist, pulling him as close as possible and Jimin laughs into his shoulder.

"I think you'll live," Jimin says unhelpfully.

Like so, his heart stops trying too hard altogether. It's calm, lulled by the slow song, with Jimin in his arms humming along.

_Don't you tell me that it wasn't meant to be_

_Call it quits_

_Call it destiny_

"Did you like my song?" Jimin wants to know, voice low as they sway.

"Uhuh, I know it."

Jimin looks up at him brightly in astonishment.

"Really?" Jimin huffs breathlessly in relief. "That's good to hear."

"You sang it," Taehyung says softly. "Of course I liked it. I sang it with you...well, just a bit."

Jimin squeezes his hand with a wide smile, pulling them both in a twirl.

"Sing to me sometime," he says.

Taehyung quirks a smile. "Don't expect flowers though."

"Ah, great, now there goes my excitement."

They both try to keep their snickering to a minimum but it's hard despite their foreheads already meeting so close. The couples going past them are shooting them looks although Taehyung could care less. Even with the consequences after this, he's still happy.

"Taehyung-ah," Jimin whispers, tilting his head in recall. "What was it that you wanted to tell me before?"

"Hmm," Taehyung mumbles and he's not anxious anymore. "If it's not much could I ask you not to punch me on the face, though? Anywhere beneath it is fine; I quite like my face."

Jimin appears perplexed, if not a little startled by the sudden request. He blinks twice.

"What?"

"Yeah, I—"

They make another twirl, near the edge of the dance floor and close to the scholar's tables and something shiny inadvertently catches Taehyung's eye for a flash of a second that has him blinking a couple of times and wondering vaguely if he'd imagined it.

"Tae?" Jimin intones, peering at his face a little worried.

Taehyung veers his head back around and he sees it alright, he hadn't imagined it after all.

It's Chuhan, sitting on Jimin's chair and eyeing Taehyung with a sneer. It's his metallic suit that had caught Taehyung's eye as he's lounging there and he's waving his hand, almost taunting. When Taehyung sees what he's holding so insultingly, he feels several things at once in a span of a blink of an eye.

It's the thermos.

Confusion is what goes through his mind the first time. It couldn't be _his_ thermos? How could he have known unless...he thought they'd gone down the basement earlier?

Anger—this is for what? What is the point of doing all this? For the sake of getting back at him, is that it?

And in the pit of his stomach it's back again—fear. His heart sinks and rolls, blistering in acid. Whatever he's going to do with it won't mean anything good. 

"Is there a problem?" Jimin whispers and Taehyung blinks back to reality. They've probably stood still for a good few seconds and when Taehyung shifts his attention down to him, Jimin's eyebrows are creased.

"I think I might've seen my brother looking for me," Taehyung finds himself saying, absolutely out of it.

Jimin raises his eyebrows. "Is Jungkook alright—?" He starts to turn and the desperation in every pore of Taehyung's skin bleeds out.

"I have to go for a bit, is that alright?" he says and Jimin looks at him once more.

"O-Oh, sure go ahead," Jimin steps back, worry in his eyes. "Is everything alright, Tae?"

He's angry. _Angry_. Frightened. Taehyung leans close and quickly presses a kiss on Jimin's forehead.

"It's fine." He deftly removes his coat and puts it around Jimin. It's a chilly night, isn't it? "I'll be right back."

Chuhan's missing.

Once Taehyung turns back Chuhan is no longer seated at the table and the thermos is not present either. He whips around to look for the heinous metallic suit but it's not anywhere in the tent. He quickly makes up his mind and runs straight for the exit.

It's almost dead silent outside the tent with only the muffled noise from inside creeping out like fog. There's nobody around but the crickets and the cool rush of the wind and panic is blooming like a bloodstain in Taehyung's chest.

"Chuhan, you bastard," Taehyung hisses under his breath, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

He starts circling around the tent, sweat beading on his forehead although he feels cold all over, and not from the chilly midnight air. His heart is pounding in his ears, loud with anxiety.

What was Chuhan planning? He's up to no good, that's for sure. If he was able to steal the thermos then he definitely went through the report that came with it. Taehyung didn't mention any names but Chuhan would know. He'd know and Taehyung clenches his fist.

He's about to make a full turn, right to the front of the tent and close to the edge of the field where it meets the swamp when he sees something shiny and bobbing along the water's rim.

Taehyung's already running before he can think of it. It's the thermos and close enough within reach that Taehyung doesn't have to wade into the muddy water too far when he pulls it out. Instantly dread colors his face when he feels it's much lighter and magicking the mud away, he sees one word haphazardly scratched onto the metal.

_Pathetic._

He backs onto drier land and sinks down, hands shaking. This. He's never encountered a lemon as large as this, severely mutated, lovecraftian and all. The tiny goblin wins yet again.

"Tae! Taehyung!"

Taehyung doesn't look up even as his brother runs and crouches down right next to him. The metal flask in his hand is a horror.

"Tae, what's happening?" Jungkook rushes, inspecting Taehyung from head to foot in a panic. "Are you hurt? Jimin approached me and said I called you? I didn't? You were missing?"

"I lied again," Taehyung croaks.

Jungkook makes a confused noise and looks down at his hands. "Is that the thermos?" he gasps.

Taehyung gulps. "Yeah, Chuhan, he—" he stops.

"He _what?_ " Jungkook reels in anger, grabbing the flask and turning it around to see the etched word. "What is his problem!" he hisses loudly.

"It's gone," Taehyung says blankly.

Jungkook stares and gingerly shakes the bottle to feel the light weight.

"Is it..." Jungkook frowns. "Did he throw it?"

"I don't know."

Jungkook shakes the flash again, dread marring his face.

"He couldn't have...mixed it in a drink?"

His first thought falls back to Jimin, his gold eyes and shining hair the same color as the potion. The scent of roses comes back as a memory like a vengeance.

Jungkook is still rambling. "It won't work on others though, will it? If it was made for Jimin—"

No, not for others. The spell wasn't made with the intention for _them._ A potion is nothing without intention and if Jimin drinks it...

Taehyung is standing before he can think of it too much.

"Tae?" Jungkook stops midword, looking puzzled.

He's in the photo, Taehyung realizes. Imprints of a smile with the brief laughter they had between them. He can't stop it unless he gets there first.

Taehyung circles back and runs.

He hates running, he hates running!

He has never hated it this much and his lungs are about to burst but he would run faster just to be sure he gets there first.

He's disoriented once he makes it back inside the chaos of the Hallows Dance. The sudden explosion of noise greets him like a suffocating fog. People walk around him, laughing and conversing as they would and for them this night is nothing but a blot in their memory.

Taehyung probably looks disheveled at this point, a little crazed in the eyes as he immediately starts looking for Jimin, gaze whipping back and forth and he can't find the golden hair he's looking for.

_I can't find him, I can't find him!_

_It's too late, I can't find him!_

He quite literally bumps right into Seungcheol who's getting up from his seat just as Taehyung is scurrying along the scholar's tables and he instinctively mumbles an apology.

"Ah, Taehyung!" Seungcheol greets brightly. "You look great! If not a bit sweaty."

"Cheol-ah," Taehyung says, voice tight. "Have you seen Jimin?"

"Park Jimin?" Seungcheol squeaks, inclining his head in thought and he shakes his head. "I don't think I have seen—"

This fear grows thorns that wrap around his neck.

"Thanks," he's ready to turn when Seungcheol grabs his arm.

"Wait, wait!" he rushes. "Nevermind! I think I saw him earlier! He was sitting with Jihoon and his brother and Soonyoung at the center tables! I think they were talking..." 

A small sliver of hope runs through his veins that it starts to glow green.

"Thank you!" Taehyung bows and wills his feet to move as fast as it can take him.

He no longer minds the bodies that he bumps into, shoving dancers and passersby out of the way as he runs blindly to their table and he doesn't slow not even when he sees the sheen of blue velvet from his coat. Jimin is still wearing it and he's got a drink in his hand.

Under the lights, it glistens a sinister ochre.

"Jimin!" Taehyung shouts desperately amid the loud music.

It only takes one call and Jimin's gaze snaps to him and instantly, a smile lights up on his face, but the glass, the glass, he's raising it up to drink.

Taehyung's not sure how he gets there fast enough. He probably skids, almost tumbling so he can reach out and pluck the glass out of Jimin's hand.

Not even thinking twice despite Jimin's gasp of surprise, he has half the mind to down the drink in one fell swoop.

"Tae, you're finally here!" Jihoon says. "You just missed that punk Chuhan strutting in here and he started insulting people!"

Jimin is still staring wide-eyed at Taehyung and the comment brings him back.

"That wasn't him," he points out softly. "You know he has those clones."

"Like _that_ isn't creepy enough!"

"You'd think he'd get detention by now when he keeps doing that out of class," Soonyoung muses.

Taehyung can't hear them much. He sets the glass carefully back on the table, watches the gold sparkling residue sit at the bottom. His mouth is filled with the taste of bitter roses. He can feel Yoongi staring at him carefully and he's trying to get his wits together.

His fingers feel a bit numb.

"Jimin," Taehyung rasps and Jimin turns to him once more, grabbing his arm.

"Did you find Jungkook?" he asks.

Taehyung clears his throat, nodding. "You didn't drink it, did you?" 

There's a noise somewhere behind them; it's only Jungkook shouting.

"Get out of the way! I need to get to my brother!"

This sends everyone at their table looking at Jungkook at once, all of them bewildered. Jimin looks with them, startled.

"Is that Jungkook...?" 

" _Jimin,_ " Taehyung whispers insistently, taking his face in his hands with urgency. "You didn't drink it, did you?"

Jimin's gold eyes track around his face fretfully, his eyebrows are creased in a scowl as Jungkook shouts Taehyung's name.

"I didn't," Jimin says, not understanding. "I was just about to and Tae...your hands are so cold."

Taehyung lets him go at once, relief flooding his veins so vastly that he lets out a long sigh of ease.

"Good," he says. "Good. It's nasty."

"Tae—"

"I'm sorry, Jimin," Taehyung pushes, staring at his open palm. His fingers are long, beautiful like ivory. "That's what I wanted to tell you."

If Pygmalion and Galatea went backwards, Taehyung thinks as his feet freezes like marble.

"Taehyung?" Jimin echoes.

"Taehyung!" Jungkook screams.

His last thought is—

Ah, he's never heard his brother this worried. 

Nothing more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lengthy notes for this very cliffhanger-y chapter ᕦ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)ᕤ
> 
> \- namjoon's verbal magic cue is from Chuya Nakahara's poem "Autumn Poem"  
> \- the potion's verbal magic cue is from Chuya Nakahara's poem “For the Tainted Sorrow”  
> \- irises mean wisdom, faithfulness, and hope  
> \- namjoon seems like the type of person to leave important rooms unlocked because he forgets to do so lol  
> \- so close - jon mclaughlin (from Enchanted, 2007) (jimin's song)  
> \- easily - bruno major, 2017 (vmin dance)  
> \- Taehyung was interrupted a total of 4 times that night lmfao  
> \- oh right the name Chuhan is not even a name it just means "ugly" 
> 
> [catch me on twitter!](http://twitter.com/crossbelladonna)


	5. i know about popular, reprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The future is confusing, bitter and tart like the lemon marmalade their mother made once, and that's the only truth he'd followed since.  
> A lie is a truth if you believe it enough.  
> After everything though, making a friend is the truest he's ever been.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _"Popular, I know about popular  
>  And all that you have to do is be true to you.  
> That's all you ever need to know...  
> (That's all you ever need to know...)"_ ([x](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmcdLOjGVzw))

“And there the wicked old witch stayed for a good long time...And did she ever come out?

Not yet.”

— Wicked

He remembers their grandmother when they were younger. Much younger and hide and seek were a norm instead of the constant scent of gunpowder in the kitchen whenever his brother felt like building a miniature bomb from scratch. She would tuck them both to her side and she would smell like the sea from her long travels.

"All you have to do," she would say, "is be true to yourself as much as you are able."

This had faded away in the years that followed. The future is confusing, bitter and tart like the lemon marmalade their mother made once, and that's the only truth he'd followed since.

A lie is a truth if you believe it enough.

After everything though, making a friend is the truest he's ever been.

Everything feels warm. Not warm enough to be uncomfortable but warmth like being under the direct beam of the late afternoon sun. His head feels light and he wonders for a moment if it's been detached from his body with how woozy it feels. Underneath him are crisp sheets that smell sharp and clean and somewhere, somewhere there's a strong wafting scent of something soft and sweet. There's a giggling noise to his right and his attention is instantly divided between discerning what the scent is and from whom the giggling is coming from.

In the end, it's his eyes that open willingly, groggy like waking up from a long, long nap and adjusting slowly to the light that he's blinded for a quick second until he realizes it's really that bright.

His body feels heavy, like when he comes back to it after astral projecting although he can wiggle his toes and tap his fingers. His senses are blown wide now that he can see and as his eyes move around the room he sees vases of lush red roses sat entirely along the left side of his bed.

There's a giggle again, albeit soft and he looks to his right and sees a familiar face with lilac hair tied in a ponytail. Jeonghan taps away at his phone, legs crossed and humming as he swipes. He's in proper school uniform—pinstriped jacket, gray shirt, black trousers—and it's a little odd. The light outside doesn't seem to say school is out already.

When had school started again? He feels funny.

"Ah," Jeonghan is staring at him with wide eyes. He sets his phone down. "You're alive."

The comment makes him want to laugh a bit. What's going on?

"W-Why," he croaks. His throat is dry and he coughs before continuing, "Why are you disappointed?"

Jeonghan laughs this time, his beautiful face warming. He stands up and starts pouring him a glass of water from his bedside table and this time, he's able to move his head as Jeonghan does it.

It feels bewildering, like the rest of his body is separated from him, but he looks down to check under the covers and his torso and his legs are still very much there.

It's strange though—he's wearing his beaded dress shirt and dress slacks.

"Why would I be disappointed?" Jeonghan says, pushing the glass of water into his hand and helping him to sit up slowly. "Who would do my demo if you died?"

Demo? The thought lingers as he swallows his water. What's the demo for?

"For potions, what else?" Jeonghan shrugs. Ah, had he said it aloud?

Potions. Oh, his mind is sluggish like walking on mud. The feeling in his calves is slowly returning and his legs no longer feel like lead. The memories come slower, like quicksand and it sinks further and further until he can piece them all.

There was a ball, wasn't there?

There was dancing. There was music, low lights, a piano, the scent of roses.

Someone else enters the room and he's familiar too. It's the nurse with the kind eyes and gentle voice and when he sees him, the kind eyes grow wide in pleasant surprise. The nurse is quickly followed by someone else, someone loud who nearly barrels into him.

"Taehyung!" 

They don't have the same face, no, but sometimes in the right light, the right expression, he looks a lot like his twin brother.

Taehyung manages a short huff of laughter as Jungkook shuffles around him and practically shoos away the roses, eyes intense. He's loud, as always, quite unfit for the room. Taehyung remembers now, he's been in the school infirmary before. The two beds across him are empty and the windows to his right are filtering in a nice warmth.

It's bright.

Jungkook looks hesitant to touch him, hovering a finger over his forehead.

"You can touch," Taehyung says eventually and Jungkook does so lightly before crumpling to his side.

"What in Hecate's name it really worked," Jungkook wails, pounding the mattress. "I thought you were gone, _gone!_ Mom and Dad said your brother is _what_ and they came over—"

"What worked?" Taehyung stares at Joshua and Jeonghan instead since Jungkook is clearly out of it.

Joshua smiles softly. "Oh, your friends care for you dearly, is all."

"It was so exciting," Jeonghan says with a grin. "You became _bwah_ Adonis and everyone was shocked! Jimin was crying! Jungkook accidentally punched Mingyu when he was running!"

Taehyung's throat tightens and the memories are flooding faster. Jimin, the bitter roses, the numbing...

"Jimin was _what?_ " Taehyung wheezes.

"Oh, right! I'll call him," Joshua says offhandedly and leaves.

"Yeah, he was crying," Jeonghan smiles easily, gesturing his hands in circles as he recalls, "and you were standing there like, you were made of ivory or something."

"Marble," Jungkook sniffs, finished with his soliloquy.

"Whatever. A statue. Stone, same thing." Jeonghan giggles behind his hand. "It's a good thing Jimin had his potion in his locker, huh?"

"He—this is confusing," Taehyung shuts his eyes. Jimin. Where is Jimin? He hadn't told him everything yet, had he? Will he be able to ever talk to him again after this? When he blinks again, Jungkook is looking at him with red-rimmed eyes, still in disbelief as though he can't believe Taehyung is really there in bed and _moving._

"Aren't you too worried?" Taehyung tells him softly, poking his brother on the cheek.

Jungkook swats it. "Of course I was worried! You know what they say when one twin dies the other one has to be sacrificed..."

"That's not true?!"

Jeonghan sidles next to him in bed, still reminiscing. "It was dreamy, everyone was panicking. Jimin had to run to his locker—he was so fast! Scholars are amazing."

Taehyung's forehead creases the more Jeonghan keeps talking. 

"Jimin's...potion?"

"Hmm," Jeonghan smiles, "apparently it reverses the very last potion you've consumed as if you never had it in the first place. Isn't serendipity great?"

His heart, beating again after that instant of silence, is magma bursting at the seams.

"H-How long was I out?" Taehyung wants to know.

"Like three days," Jeonghan muses. "Oh, today is the third day. It's Friday." 

Friday. "Then why are you here and not in class?"

"Well, I'm your Potions partner, you know, moral support." Jeonghan says as though this is the answer he's looking for. "Professor Kim saw what happened and he was very impressed when he found out that was your project. Guess you'll have a good grade now, you and Jimin both," he laughs.

Taehyung is flabbergasted. "What?"

Jungkook shakes the bed. "Don't worry! I have a glass of that thing! I will prove to them that it was Chuhan's fault! I will shove it so far up his—"

A door slams open somewhere close by and there's running footsteps before finally, finally—

"Sorry! Sorry," Jimin pants. He clearly ran all the way here; the two buttons on his shirt are open, jacket haphazardly put on and his hair is a mess. "We were in the greenhouse, I ran—I—" 

Taehyung meets his eyes and time stands still for him again. Jimin's beautiful face crumples as if trying not to cry, gold eyes shaking and Taehyung only has a glimpse before he leans a hand against the partition and rubs another hand across his face.

Jeonghan stands up abruptly and grabs Jungkook right across him by the collar, he flashes Taehyung a smile.

"We'll be right back," he whispers, and starts dragging an overly compliant and mournful-looking Jungkook out the fairly small room.

Jimin doesn't move even when they move out and he stays there standing, a hand on his face and evening out his breathing. Taehyung doesn't know what to do. He's guilty—this is all on him after all. Is this how they're both going to end? Has Jimin started hating him after seeing him like this? He'd like to apologize properly at least once.

He starts to drag himself off the bed, his joints feel stiff from disuse and he hears them crack in several places as he eases himself to sit on the side with his feet hanging off.

Jimin notices and he finally looks up.

"No!" he exclaims in a flurry, rushing forward much to Taehyung's astonishment. Jimin is shaking his head, pushing him back down the bed. "Don't get up, Tae," he squeezes his arm. "You have to rest."

"Jimin," Taehyung takes his hand and he realizes it's trembling.

Jimin sinks onto the bed beside him, staring at Taehyung intently, his eyes muted, filling with tears in worry. He leans closer and with his other hand, he reaches to hold Taehyung's cheek.

He might as well have stolen his breath.

"I didn't know if it would work," Jimin mutters, voice tight. "I didn't...I haven't tried it out, I was so scared it wouldn't but I had to try—"

" _Jimin,_ " Taehyung grasps his hand tighter.

"Are you okay?" Jimin rasps.

"I am," Taehyung tells him.

"You remember me alright?" Jimin's voice cracks and a tear makes its way down his cheek.

"Of course I do," Taehyung wipes it away. "How could I forget?"

Jimin sniffs again, releasing Taehyung so he can rub at his eyes.

"That's good," he mumbles.

"Jimin, I haven't apologized to you properly," Taehyung says, dropping his hold.

"Hmm?"

"When I planned to make that potion that was because months ago I planned to use it on you," Taehyung feels bile rise up his throat.

Jimin sighs like this isn't the first time he's heard it.

"I know, Tae. Jungkook told me."

Taehyung scowls. "Wh—Huh?"

Jimin's expression is mellow. "I already know it."

Taehyung deflates, absolutely bewildered. "Then why are you still talking to me?"

Jimin raises his eyebrows. "Do you...not want to talk to me?"

"I assumed _you_ wouldn't!"

Now Jimin is confused. "Why?"

"I was planning to—" This is too puzzling; Taehyung is not sure if his brain is still groggy or he's just not processing this right. "I don't want you to think I'm someone you can't trust even if my actions have been..." He trails off. He's not good at this, he's absolutely not good at this. 

He gathers his bearings and tries again, bowing his head. "I apologize. I could have seriously hurt you and I don't want that to happen—"

Jimin stares at the little crease in Taehyung's forehead as the words stumble from his mouth and he laughs softly.

"Tae, I love you but you really suck at words," Jimin shakes his head.

"I—what? You love me?"

Jimin rolls his eyes. "Do you think I'd waste my potion on you if I didn't trust you? If you really wanted to go through it you had a lot of chances. You didn't have to practically jump me and drink it yourself."

"You—" Taehyung starts up again and Jimin smacks a hand to his mouth to shut him up.

He raises a finger imperiously. "Stop, shut up. Seriously. Can't I just be happy that you're alive after all that? Besides, do you really want to be punched?"

Taehyung moves his hand from his mouth, earnest again.

"If that would make you feel better, yeah."

Jimin groans. " _No_."

"I can't help but feel like you shouldn't repress your anger and be mad at me just a bit?"

Jimin reaches out and smooths a hand through Taehyung's hair though it's probably disgusting by now.

"I was mad at you enough before, I think," he mumbles, voice tender.

Everything is too warm, too warm. Taehyung will never feel cold again. He catches Jimin's hand once more and leans in to smile, just a hint of teasing.

"So you love me," he goads, laughing.

Jimin pokes his side irritably and they both laugh, Jimin uttering small complaints that Taehyung holds insanely close to his heart.

Jungkook comes back with great big stomps a few minutes later, stopping at the partition almost hesitantly. It's not like he's going to see anything incriminating...

"Mom and Dad are picking you up," he states blandly.

Taehyung extends his hand and motions for him to come closer.

"Kookie," he drops his voice low in seriousness, "come here I need to tell you something important."

Immediately Jungkook's eyes widen in a flash of worry, trudging around to the other side of the bed to get close.

"What is it?" Jungkook asks hesitantly. Jimin sighs and looks doubtful.

Taehyung motions him some more and coughs as an addition.

"Closer, closer," he gestures until Jungkook's ear is right by his lips.

"What is it?" Jungkook asks again with an urgency.

"C-Call," Taehyung rasps. "Call me hyung."

The punch to his stomach is a bit uncalled for, he thinks. Four minutes is surely a reasonable time difference with escaping from the womb standards. 

Worth it though; Jimin's laugh is always satisfying to hear.

He smacks a hand onto Jeonghan's paint box come Monday, grinning an innocent boxy smile.

"I've got just the right additional points for ya," Taehyung tells him just as brightly. 

They have visual arts on a skewed schedule today, their last class for once and they're holding it right next to the performing arts dance studio.

When Jeonghan looks up and carefully watches a confident Taehyung, he thinks he knows what's about to happen.

"Alright, I agree," Jeonghan says, straightening up.

Taehyung follows him around when he retrieves his potion that he'd kept in their Potions classroom and that's how they end up herding a very confused but rather delighted Professor Kim to the dance studio.

"My good compliments to you Taehyung-ssi," he says with a sweet smile despite Taehyung urging him to walk faster since the performing arts class might end soon. "Such quick thinking too! And the potion worked with a very clean 97% efficiency! And a family heirloom, you said?"

"Um...yes," Taehyung says slowly as Jeonghan squeaks in laughter.

"Truly excellent, I might say. And I read through your report the particulars are interesting. Romantic, even."

Taehyung's face is red, he just knows it. Jeonghan keeps silently giggling.

"Thank you, Professor Kim," Taehyung replies because he never gets shy, doesn't he? Absolutely not.

"And Jimin-ssi's swift actions that night really turned the tide," Professor Kim continues albeit they're already close to their destination. "It's a good alternative to antidotes."

"Very interesting," Professor Kim intones one last time as Jeonghan pushes the dance studio doors open.

The dance studio remains relatively the same as every time Taehyung had visited. Chaotic still with several moving bodies. The chandelier still has flickering bulbs now and then and the wall mirrors still made the room seem larger than it is. There's not a lot of laughter this time though; class is ending and for whatever reason, Jungkook has got Chuhan in a headlock on the floor while Jimin and Soonyoung is holding on to each of his flailing arms, right in the middle of the room.

"Let me go!" Chuhan is screaming.

Taehyung blinks. This is not what he had in mind. Everyone else seems particularly indifferent about Chuhan's efforts to release himself though. Hoseok, their instructor, is standing right in front of him in appraisal, still with his characteristically unreadable smile.

Jihoon jogs right to them looking smug.

"I thought you said discreetly," Taehyung deadpans.

Jihoon shrugs, nonplussed. "Oh, it was my idea. He called me short."

Hoseok catches Professor Kim standing there with them eventually and he starts waving them over cheerfully.

"Namjoon-ah!" he calls as they come close. "Look, look I have a naughty student."

"So I heard," Professor Kim says pleasantly.

Seeing Taehyung standing there seems to incite an even bigger rebellion in Chuhan and he attempts to retaliate even more.

"I've done nothing! You have no proof!" he shouts. "That brat just wants dirt on me!"

Jungkook pats his head tenderly as though he's not about to choke him completely.

"There, there," he cackles. Oh, he's good. "Using clones to do your dirty work is a big enough proof as it is. Do you want me to call in some witnesses?"

"You're not allowed to use them out of class," Soonyoung grunts, holding on tighter.

" _Especially_ not on anyone," Jimin adds icily. Taehyung has seen him mad before, countless times, but never quite like this, not even like the greenhouse. There's pure malice that's making his eyes glow gold and he slams Chuhan's arm down to put his knee on it.

"Ow, stop, quit it!"

" _You_ quit it, you bastard."

Jeonghan rubs his hands together excitedly and he gestures for Professor Kim to watch. Taehyung sighs.

"Wish me luck for my grades," Jeonghan hisses to him and Taehyung nods earnestly.

He approaches Chuhan who stills immediately, and crouches down to his eye level down to the floor. Jeonghan grins, already terrifying in itself to be in the force of his undivided attention.

"Chuhan-ssi," he says, "I really need some help with my project and I heard you're a very interesting person."

He takes out the small water bottle he's been holding, waves it in front Chuhan who stares, frightened at the harmlessly clear liquid.

"Are you thirsty?" Jeonghan beams.

It only takes a few (forced) sips for Chuhan's limbs to go limp, relaxing completely although his expression remains terrified.

"Oh," Jeonghan coos, looking back at Taehyung, still excited. "You should see what his mind looks like right now; it's so clear it's nasty."

Taehyung's eyes widen and he catches Jimin's glance with the same thought. _Definitely a seer_.

Jeonghan's potion is no nonsense. He only motions for Chuhan to start and everything starts spilling out without further urging, even going as far back in admitting he had dropped Jimin's pot of moondew seedlings after all. Jimin had gasped, along with many others who were listening in, and promptly stepped on Chuhan's fingers.

Naturally, Professor Kim starts choking up in praises, deeply impressed much to Jeonghan's delight.

"Hoseok," he tells his co-teacher tearfully, "I think I might be rearing future Potions Masters."

Hoseok looks a little disappointed at Chuhan's confessions and frankly surprised when Jeonghan starts laughing to himself, elated that his demonstration had been successful. Either way, Hoseok shrugs with a sigh.

"Well, then. It seems, being the teacher, it'd be up to me, isn't it?" 

If anything, the sound of it seems to appease his earlier disappointment and he sounds cheerful once more when he announces detention for Chuhan with a flutter of his hand.

Nothing like announcing your fate as if announcing an invitation to a party after all, isn't it?

-

"Come what come may,

Time and the hour runs through the roughest day."

— Macbeth, Act I Scene III

"Jungkook, stop ogling at Yoongi-hyung and let's go!"

 _I think it's nice,_ Coop says, mindless of the way Taehyung is rushing out of the car, jacket half on and hair properly disheveled.

Yoongi and Jihoon are right ahead of them, Yoongi's Lamborghini parked to the side and he's obviously waiting for Jungkook to step out with the way he straightens once he does.

Jihoon whines. "You took forever! Do you _want_ to ruin a perfectly good class record on the _first_ day?"

But Jungkook is already grinning at Yoongi, uncaring for everything else.

"It's because _someone_ left his viper enclosure _open_ and we had to _chase_ it around the house since Joowon is scared of them," Taehyung spits, waving Coop goodbye when the door closes.

"She's a good girl and she knows it," Jungkook says determinedly.

"Do you have a name for her yet?" Yoongi wants to know.

"Oh, hyung, not yet," Jungkook tells him warmly. Taehyung and Jihoon groan.

"Right, bye! I have to go!" Taehyung rushes for the hallway.

"Ah, Tae, don't leave me with _them!_ " Jihoon complains and Taehyung laughs, sticking his tongue out at him over his shoulder.

"Different classes privilege!" he shouts back and puts on his jacket properly as he runs.

Needless to say, being late is only one of the few reasons why he's got to rush. The last year of academics meant tighter schedules, a lot more requirements to comply, and much stricter regulations it seems. Perhaps they'd learned a lot from the previous year, well, that's on them. 

It also meant if he won't be early, he won't have time to see his locker-mate much out of class and he can't have that now, can he?

Taehyung skids to a stop down the hallway to the lockers and there are a few other students there who stare at him warily for a few seconds before slinking away until Taehyung's eyes land on the person he's looking for.

Airily, with the confidence of someone not about to be late for class, he leans against Jimin’s locker as the latter pretends not to have seen him yet. The little smile gives it away, though.

"Hey, scholar," Taehyung grins.

This time Jimin greets him with a sparkle in his eyes, turning so he can reach a hand behind Taehyung's neck to pull him close, pressing a kiss to his smile.

"Hey, yourself," he says and oh, what a day it’s going to be after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _(:3 」∠)_ it's finally done.....
> 
> i took such a long time thinking what jimin's potion was going to be lol i guess unlike antidotes that also "reverse" adverse effects jimin's potion can work on anything, good or bad. jeonghan's potion is similar to veritaserum! except you need prompting when you're under the truth serum. i love him he's so sly. is he really a mind reader? well ¯\\_( ツ )_/¯
> 
> as always i've got handy dandy literary references i got some from Wicked, got some from Harry Potter lore, Macbeth quotes, a smidge of Pygmalion and Galatea and Addams Family, aaand wildly driven by the song and MV of "Popular Song" by Mika ft. Ariana Grande (i watched this like 10000 times, also the chapter titles). it's fun lol
> 
> if there was anyone who tried guessing what the movie posters were try finding if you got it right!  
> 1st - ready or not, it, midsommar  
> 2nd - a quiet place, bird box, hereditary  
> 3rd - it chapter 2, pet sematary (the movie they watched!), us
> 
> again big big big thanks to [farrah](https://twitter.com/ivorytaetae) who waited for this for so long and always had to suffer through no context spoilers cackles
> 
> [catch me on twitter!](http://twitter.com/crossbelladonna)


End file.
